Drawn Together
by Amethyst-Love
Summary: --02 AU-- No one had taught him the difference between lust and love. Too bad he had to learn the hard way. Mimi.Taichi.Sora
1. Prologue

A/N: This story is a midieval fiction, and it will be a triliogy, Drawn Together being the first part. I have the whole plot in my head, it's just figuring out a few details. Most of the first part is written, but bare with me. I can be a little slow when it comes to updates. Hope you enjoy it, and even though this chapter is short and pretty unexciting, it does heat up later on.

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon or any of the characters. Don't sue.**

"Where's Taichi?!"

The Yagami castle was as busy as ever, and Yagami, Taichi was nowhere to be found. King Yagami fumbled around the castle trying to find his absent son, and got extremely angry every second he could not be found.

"Somebody, find that boy!" he screamed, getting everyone's attention. After a few seconds of staring at the king, and stumbling out of their rooms, everyone jostled around the castle to find him.

Fifteen year old Kari Yagami, neatly dressed and ready for the day, slowly got out of her chambers and sighed. 'Just a typical morning in the Yagami household,' she thought. She dragged herself out of her room and walked a few feet down the partly lit hall. As she walked down, she noticed the sun was only rising and let out a sigh. Taichi had 'disappeared' yet again.

As she reached her destination, she let out a small yawn. Looking up at the decorated door, she slowly knocked and heard some movement from inside the room. When the door opened, she was met by the sweet smell of roses. Her lady-in-waiting and a few other maids and servants were rushing to get dressed and ready for work. Miyako Inoue, Kari's lady-in-waiting, looked up at the door and gave Princess Kari a weak smile.

"I guess Taichi found a new hiding spot," Miyako said with a slight sigh and tightened the straps on the back of her dress. Kari giggled and walked into the room to help Miyako get ready.

"Every time I ask him what he does in the morning, he just snorts at me and says that if he told me, it wouldn't keep everything so interesting." Miyako laughed at Kari's comment and shook her head as she finished tying the back of her dress. Kari smiled, dragged Miyako out of the Maid Chambers, and walked down the stairs to find Queen Yagami walking around gracefully, asking servants if they've seen her missing son. She looked up and saw the two girls walking down and smiled at them.

"Good Morning, darling, have you seen-"

"No," Kari interrupted her mother, already knowing the answer to the question she was going to ask. Kari smiled, and Miyako pursed her lips into a thin line, trying to hold in her laughter. Queen Yagami shook her head and looked up to the ceiling, as if praying. Kari smiled at her mother and added a quick remark:

"I'm sure father will find him. He always does, and when he does, Taichi's in major trouble…again."

* * *

Taichi's big closet, located conveniently in his chambers, was occupied. He smiled in spite of himself, and kissed Mimi's lips again. Mimi Tachikawa decided to give him a visit a little while ago, and then decided to stay. 'Another typical morning,' Taichi thought as he grinned and opened his eyes to meet Mimi's honey ones.

Both Mimi and Taichi were sprawled across the floor of Taichi's closet, Mimi on top of Taichi, and Taichi bunched securely between his wine colored rug, and Mimi. Taichi's night shirt was laying a good foot away from them, above a pile of clothes that Taichi's servants hadn't put away. Mimi had been able to take his shirt off, but managed to stop Taichi from taking any of her clothes off. She giggled and kissed his chest and then his lips, running her hands through his smooth brown hair. Taichi kissed back and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, deepening the kiss.

Mimi pulled away quickly when she heard a loud banging on Taichi's main door. Taichi pulled her back into a kiss, but she broke it again, trying to get up. Taichi groaned.

"Mimi, the doors are locked, no one will get in," He stated as he looked up at her, supporting his body with his elbows. Mimi got a good look at his sculpted abs and bit her lip, holding the urge to get back down on the floor and finishing the job. She shook her head, ran her fingers through her cinnamon hair, trying to fix it.

"Everyone's probably looking for you, again," she stated while fixing her night gown, "we should stop loosing track of time, otherwise we'll get caught." Tai twisted his face and was about to say something but stopped when he heard his door being banged open. Mimi's eyes widened and she started to panic.

"Tai, we're done for!" she whispered with a slight squeak. Taichi put a finger to her mouth to silence her, but she made a face and pulled his finger away. He heard foot steps coming towards the closet doors and he pushed Mimi under a bunch of clothes, in the back of the closet where she would never be found. He could hear her mumble something, but ignored it.

Taichi quickly found a stack of books in the corner, and grabbed one. As he ran to the door, he slipped on a silk shirt and fell to the floor. He heard the door handle being pulled so rested on his side. He opened the book and tried to look as innocent as he could as the door completely opened.

Taichi's father looked in and was caught off guard when he found his son lying on the floor with no shirt on and a book open. Taichi looked up and smiled.

"Good morning, Father." The king glared at Taichi and crossed his arms at his chest. His navy dress robes looking darker than usual and his crown placed a little lopsided on his head.

"Why the hell are you in your _closet_ with no shirt on, and reading a _book_?" He asked with a slight growl. Taichi panicked a little and looked at the floor. He could tell that Mimi wasn't moving. 'God, she's probably not even breathing,' he thought as he looked up at his father.

"Well…you see…I couldn't sleep so I thought I might as well read…" Taichi answered trying to look as if he was telling the truth. He grinned at his father, and then mentally slapped himself by making his grin look fake. The king raised an eyebrow and stared at his son.

"You never read," he stated, looking at Taichi, waiting for more answers. Taichi searched his mind for something smart to say, but his heart was beating so fast, he couldn't think properly.

"Um…I-um…well, father, you caught me," Taichi stated, finally knowing what he was going to say. Mimi's heart stopped when she heard those words escape Taichi's lips. He would never tell anyone, _especially_ his father…would he?

"I couldn't sleep because it was very warm, so I went into my closet because it was…cooler," Taichi slapped himself mentally again. That was the stupidest thing to say. When he saw his father waiting for more information, he continued, "I also didn't feel like going to today's council meeting so I hid in here. I…pretended to read so I wouldn't look so suspicious, but you caught me, so I'll just get ready now," He ended quickly with his signature lopsided grin, getting up off the floor. King Yagami looked disapprovingly at his son, and pulled him out of the closet.

"The servants readied your bath, so go get ready." King Yagami ordered. Taichi looked meekly at him and nodded, relieved that his father believed his story.

"This is the last time I want to look for you in the morning, is that clear?" Taichi nodded again, and as his father stomped out of his room, he let out a relieved sigh.

Mimi stuck her head out of the closet door, and sighed as well.

"Maybe I'll come and visit you at night from now on," she said as she walked out of the closet and fell on his bed. She rolled over and buried her face in his pillow, taking in his scent. Taichi went over and sat by her, looking at the floor.

"I wonder how much longer we can keep this up…" He said with distress. Mimi faced him and smiled. She took his hand and pulled him onto the bed. He fell back and grumbled. Mimi giggled, and Taichi smiled at her. Her laughter could always lift his bad moods.

"Well, Prince Taichi-"

"Tai." he corrected. She made a face and kissed his nose as she rested on top of him.

"Prince Tai, I will keep up this pretense as long as it means that I can be with you. Even if I'm a maid for the rest of my life," she said and kissed him passionately. Taichi broke away and smiled at her. Sure, they're relationship was illegal, but both knew it was worth it.

* * *

Mimi sneaked out of Taichi's room when she found that no one was in the hall. She walked as fast as she could and headed towards the servants' quarters, her golden hair flowing behind her. As she opened the door to the room she shared with other maids, she sighed when only Miyako and Princess Kari were there. Kari looked up at her and smiled, but Miyako gave her an odd look that Mimi had not seen.

"Did anyone find Taichi?" Mimi asked, trying to pretend that she was looking for him like everyone else was. She scrambled to find her dress, praying to the lord that she didn't forget it in Taichi's room one day by accident. Kari nodded and sighed.

"My father found him in his closet, _reading_," She explained with a laugh. Miyako also chuckled while staring intently at Mimi, and Mimi tried to fake her best giggle. She sighed in relief when she found her dress, and went behind a curtain to change.

"Mimi? Did you hear the news?" Kari asked. She wasn't supposed to give information to the servants, but Kari always made an exception when she was talking with her friends. Mimi slipped into her pink and white dress- the same one Miyako was wearing- and opened the curtain. She started to tie the strings on the back when she gave a questioning look to Kari.

"No, what's going on?" Kari fidgeted with her gloves and looked up with her amber eyes.

"My father and the council are meeting today because they predict the war with the Ishida kingdom is going to last another fifteen years or so," she explained. Mimi looked at Kari with a sympathetic look as she combed her hair. Kari hated the war with a passion, and Mimi knew that. Kari was so sensitive about these kinds of topics, but Mimi knew she had a reason to worry. If the war got way out of hand, both Taichi and King Yagami would have to fight out there, in combat. Mimi looked to the ground. She and Kari could lose Taichi.

"Is there anyway to stop it from progressing any further?" Mimi asked. Miyako looked at Kari and nodded.

"Yeah, can't they sign a treaty or something?" Miyako suggested. Kari shook her head.

"Where do you think Tai gets his stubbornness from? My father refuses to surrender or sign a treaty. He wants to beat the Ishidas, and won't stop until he does." All three of them stayed silent for a while until Kari continued.

"I heard my mother and father talking about a way to make the war end faster, but I'm not sure what it is. My guess is that my father is going to suggest it to the council and see if they accept it." Mimi looked at Kari through a mirror, as she made some finishing touches to her hair.

"Well I hope they accept it. I don't want Tai to go to battle," She said, and bit her tongue, reminding herself to be careful, and quickly added, "Nor your father."

Kari and Miyako nodded, and Mimi sighed to herself. She had to watch her mouth. Taichi shouldn't be fooling around with a mere maid. If she blew their cover, then she might get kicked out of the castle, and her reputation will be tarnished forever. But what would be worse is that she would never see Taichi again. The same thing might happen if this war went on any longer.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so I know the first chapter was pretty corny, and this one might be. I started writing this at the begining of the year, and trust me, I have improved. So the later chapters might be better written, but I'm doing my best to make these chapters a little clearer and less cheesy because they're too long to rewrite (and partly because I'm extremely lazy). Anyway, I might not be the best writer, considering I am younger than some of you think and I'm still learning, so i would appreciate it if the people that took the time to read my story would review and give some pointers or praises. It would be greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon or any of it's characters.

* * *

Taichi left his chambers in a hurry, dressed in his navy half-robe and gold tights. His sword fit snuggly to his waist, ready in its leather sheath if he ever needed to use it. His hair was still damp from his bath so water was dripping down his face as he sped down the halls. He cursed as he picked up speed. Not only was his father already angry with him for 'hiding' in the morning, but now that he was late for the council meeting, his father was going to be seething. 

While running down the stairs, Taichi tripped on the last step and fell onto the cold floor. He groaned and rolled over on his back, closing his eyes and then bringing himself up slowly. When he was standing up again, he brushed himself off and looked up. Every single pair of eyes was on him, and his face turned red in embarrassment.

"Taichi, you're late," King Yagami stated bluntly, with a glare holding his eyes. Taichi laughed nervously and scratched the back of his bushy hair.

"Yeah, I'm sorry father. I lost track of time," Taichi said with a grin. The council didn't smile; all of them held blank faces as they sat in their chairs. Taichi stopped grinning and looked at the ground. Queen Yagami shook her head in disapproval and Kari chuckled quietly.

"Well, now that everyone is present, lets move into the meeting room." The king ordered. The council members got up and filed into the big room. It contained a high ceiling that rose even higher in the middle. There was a platform with two big chairs in the center and two smaller ones on either side. The king, and queen sat in the bigger chairs and Taichi and Kari sat on the smaller ones. Taichi sat on the side of his father and Kari on the side of her mother. In front of the platform, there was a 'U' of chairs. The allies of the Yagami kingdom would occupy the front seats and than other people (nobles, the wealthy, etc), would sit in order of importance.

Once everyone got into their proper seats, King Yagami nodded and started the session.

"As I have discussed with a few of you, I fear that the war with the Ishida kingdom will last longer than expected," He started. Kari look to the floor, already feeling the seriousness of the situation. Taichi sagged in his seat, tired, because of his early morning 'meeting' with Mimi. The thought of her brought a smile to his lips.

"This war has lasted six years as it is, and I also know some of us fear that it will last for another six years or more. We have made no progress, and neither has the Ishida kingdom. They prove to be a formidable foe," King Yagami continued. A hand rose in the council and the King nodded telling him to rise.

"Your highness, I represent the Motomiya Kingdom. My king has given me permission to inform you that if you need anymore troops, we will contently supply them to you until this war is over," the man dressed in red and gold explained. King Yagami nodded and thanked him for his help. Taichi's thoughts drifted off.

'Six years…' The war had been a long one indeed. Especially when your best friends become your worst enemies. Taichi's face twisted in anger at the thought of the war or Yamato Ishida. Even when the war ends, Taichi was sure that nothing between them would ever be the same.

"Actually, my queen and I have come to a decision that will help us greatly," The king started, looking at his wife. She gave a nod and looked out to the council. Kari's stomach dropped. She was anxious to know what her parents' decision on how to end the war would be.

"First, we would greatly appreciate it if each of our allies would send out a few more troops. If you are not able to, then it will not matter as much, but you're kindness will be recognized if troops are given. Second, will the King or representative of the kingdom of Takenouchi please rise," King Yagami ordered. King Takenouchi stood up, his crown looking weightless on his dark auburn hair. His red and green robes shone in the light given off by the big window.

Taichi started to daze off again, his worries seemed to be on his boots because he had just figured out that he had worn two different ones. Kari paid close attention to everything her father was saying. King Yagami smiled at the other king; obviously they had spoken to each other on this subject before.

"Do we have permission, from you and your queen, for our son, Prince Taichi Yagami, to be eligible to marry your daughter, Princess Sora Takenouchi?" Taichi lurched forward in his chair, paying close attention to everything now. Kari turned and looked at her brother, and then back at King Takenouchi, waiting for his answer. King Takenouchi smiled and nodded his head. Taichi's heart sank.

"You have permission, from me and my queen, for Prince Taichi Yagami to marry our daughter, Princess Sora Takenouchi." King Yagami smiled and held on to Queen Yagami's hand. Taichi stood up in his seat, leaning forward on the table in front of him.

"Well, I decline this proposal!" He screamed at his father and to King Takenouchi. King Yagami looked at Taichi and glared. Kari looked at the ground, pain filling her eyes.

"Sit down." King Yagami muttered to him. Taichi shook his head and looked at the council.

"It seems that everyone here is fine with this suggestion, but I, the one who's going to get married this princess, have no say in this!"

"Taichi settle down," Queen Yagami said soothingly. Taichi banged his fists on the long table out of anger and King Yagami stood up.

"Do you want what's best for our Kingdom, the one you will rule in the future, or yourself? Sora Takenouchi is a fine young lady, and she will do nothing but be a good influence on our country, and on you!" Taichi looked at his father, who was feeling ashamed to call Taichi his son at this point, and Taichi knew that.

Taichi walked down from the platform, and headed for the door, the clicking of his boots left an echo as the door closed. The whole council remained silent, soaking in what just happened.

* * *

Mimi cleaned the windows of the castle with swiftness. Her thoughts were all occupied by her foolish and completely sexy bushy-haired love. She chuckled to herself, thinking of his goofy smile. Thinking about him made her heart leap out of her chest. How had they come to this point? When they were younger, around ten, when Mimi first started working at the palace, they despised each other. Maybe they were childhood sweethearts. She bit her lip, thinking of his chiseled chest, and broad shoulders. When had he become such a man? When had she become so obsessed with wanting him, and having him? She shook her head, trying to focus on her work. Who was she kidding? She couldn't focus on anything but him anymore. 'God, I want him right now' she thought, biting her lip once more, and scrubbing the windows harder. 

"Mimi!" she turned around to see Koushiro Izumi coming down the hall. She smiled at him and moved her cinnamon hair out of her eyes.

"Hello Koushiro, do you need anything?" she asked. She and Koushiro were both servants at the castle. Koushiro was also Taichi's best friend.

"Have you seen Tai? I've been asking everyone. The king wants to speak with him. The council session just ended and you can just feel the tension between everybody. I wonder what happened…" Koushiro stated, putting a finger on his chin. Mimi smiled at his cuteness, but then became serious when she remembered what he had said. She hadn't seen Taichi.

"I have no idea where he is." She stated, "But I'll help you look." Mimi threw her rag into the bucket filled with water. Koushiro nodded and both of them walked down the hall.

As they got to the main entrance door, Mimi spotted Kari watching the horse carriages, filled with council members, leave the castle with the King and Queen. The king looked angry. She turned to Koushiro.

"Did you ask Princess Kari?" Mimi asked him. He shook his head.

"Why don't you ask her, and I'll search the rest of the castle," Koushiro suggested. Mimi smiled and nodded, heading for the Princess. As she came right next to Kari, she nudged at her. Kari turned to look at Mimi, and smiled.

"Have you seen Prince Taichi?" She whispered to her. His full name felt a little odd on her tongue since he preferred 'Tai', but after this morning, she didn't want to give anyone any hints. Kari shook her head and frowned.

"He left the council room today…" she stated. Mimi looked at her confused. Taichi wouldn't do that. Mimi leaned over to talk to Queen Yagami.

"Your Highness, may I have a word with Princess Kari for a moment?" Mimi queried. The queen smiled and nodded. Mimi took Kari's arm and led her inside the castle.

"What happened at the council?" Mimi asked, determined on knowing the whole story. Kari looked at the ground and explained.

"He got angry at my father about arranging his marriage to Princess Sora Takenouchi," she stated directly. Mimi's heart stopped. He was going to get married.

"But he has to marry her; otherwise this war will never end. With the land and troops of both kingdoms, we can win the war." Kari proclaimed while looking into Mimi's surprised eyes.

* * *

Koushiro found Taichi sitting outside, near the lake by the castle. The afternoon sun was beating down on his brown hair. Koushiro sighed as he ran down the hill to get to him. 

"Tai, Tai!" He yelled trying to get his attention as he sped down the hill. Taichi turned around and saw Koushiro coming towards him at immense speed. Koushiro couldn't control his feet and when he reached the bottom of the hill, and he bumped right into Taichi, knocking him down to the ground along with himself.

Taichi groaned and looked to his right to see Koushiro sprawled across the ground, moaning as well.

"What is it Koushiro?" Taichi asked him. Koushiro looked at Taichi.

"Huh?" he questioned. Taichi grunted and looked at Koushiro with anger. He picked a bad time to get on Taichi's nerves.

"What do you want?!" Taichi exclaimed. Koushiro looked at him meekly and found his train of thought.

"You're father's looking for you, Taichi, just because you're angry don't take it out on me." Taichi looked at the ground.

"I'm sorry Koushiro…it's just that I'm under a lot of pressure right now," Taichi said sorrowfully. Koushiro put his hand on Taichi's shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it quickly before you see your father?" Taichi brought his legs to his chest and stared out to the water. He couldn't say anything about Mimi, but there were other things bothering him that he wanted to get off his chest.

"Do you think I'm a disappointment to this kingdom…and my father?" Taichi asked curiously, wanting to hear Koushiro's response. Koushiro frowned and looked at his best friend, feeling pity for him.

"Tai, you're the prince of this kingdom. You have many responsibilities you have to uphold. You should stop being so hard on yourself. That's your problem, you never think you're good enough, but everyone knows you're powerful…" Koushiro trailed. Taichi smiled and looked at him.

"You never answered my question," he stated. Koushiro grinned and looked at him.

"I was getting to that. Well, I don't think you're a disappointment to this kingdom nor to your father. It's all in your head. Your father and the kingdom love you and you have our trust, Tai." Taichi looked at Koushiro and smiled.

"Well, we can talk later on, but you're father wants to see you now," Koushiro stated. Taichi sighed and got up.

"Maybe I can sneak up into my chambers without him noticing." Koushiro laughed.

"I doubt that, Tai, I doubt that," Koushiro stated and Taichi grinned, feeling a little better. Then Mimi popped up into his mind. How was he going to tell her?

* * *

Taichi entered through the servant door at the back of the castle. He couldn't face his father right now. The look on his face at the council meeting nearly killed Taichi. With everything going on in his life right now, he didn't feel ready to face anyone. Not even Kari. Taichi quietly walked the halls and stairs. He almost got to his chambers, but a voice stopped him. 

"I'm not a fool, Taichi Yagami. I knew you would come to your room eventually." Busted. Taichi turned and saw his father sitting on a chair, waiting for him to come. Taichi looked at the floor and then turned around, glaring at his door.

"I don't feel like talking," he stated firmly.

"I don't care, Tai, we need to talk." The king stated even more firmly than Taichi. The King grabbed Taichi's arm and lead him down the stairs. As the King dragged him down, Taichi caught a glimpse of cinnamon and turned to stare into the face of Mimi, watching with Kari as he came down the stairs. She stared at him with hurt and Taichi turned, unable to look at her.

As they headed for the Main Entrance, he passed by Mimi and Kari. Mimi secretly gave his arm a reassuring squeeze as he walked by, and he smiled at her, then at Kari, so nothing looked suspicious.

The King led him out into the garden at the front of the castle. He let go of Taichi's arm, knowing that Taichi wouldn't run away. Taichi scowled crossing his arms at his chest and walked slower, letting his father get ahead of him.

"Taichi, do find disobeying me enjoyable?" King Yagami asked loudly so Taichi could hear from the back.

"I don't mean to disobey you," Taichi stated, feeling his chest fill up with dread. How could his father think that Taichi found embarrassing the Yagami family enjoyable? His father turned around.

"Then why don't you ever listen to me?" Taichi didn't answer. Again, he doesn't do what he does on purpose. He never fell in love with Mimi on purpose, but his father would never understand.

"Well…do you want to do what's best for you kingdom?" He asked, trying to get Taichi to respond. Taichi hesitated and then answered.

"I do, father. It's just that…marrying this girl isn't what's best for me…" Taichi explained. His father looked at him intently and smiled.

"Being king means making self sacrifices. You can't be selfish if you're going to be a ruler, Tai." Taichi glared at the ground, hating everything.

"I've never met her before. How can I marry a girl I don't know?" He asked his father. King Yagami smirked.

"Exactly. How can you judge Sora before you've gotten the chance to know her? She's really an amazing young lady. I think you'll be surprised how different she is compared to other girls," The king stated with a smile. Taichi sighed. His father would never understand.

"But…what if I'm in love with someone else at the moment?" He asked nonchalantly, trying not to blush or look at his father. At this comment, King Yagami stopped walking and looked at Taichi deeply.

"You're too young you know what true love is, Taichi." King Yagami stated. Taichi looked at his father straight in the eye.

"I said 'what if', father. I just wanted to know if maybe you'd get the hint that I don't want to marry this girl…" Taichi explained.

"I know my son. Maybe you won't fall in love with Sora, but I know my son. Do you know that I met many daughters of many kings, and Sora was the one that stood out the most? I know you'll like her Taichi," he told him. Taichi looked at the ground.

Obviously, his father didn't know him at all. He loved Mimi. He will never love anyone the way he loves Mimi.

"When you're in love, Tai, that person will never stop amazing you. You'll feel this attraction like you've never felt before, and the more you learn about this person, the more you want to be with them," his father stated. Mimi amazed him, he felt an attraction towards Mimi…he had to be in love with Mimi, right? His father had no idea what he was talking about.

"You won't understand until you feel it for yourself, Taichi," his father stated, as if sensing his confusion.

"Tai." he corrected. The king laughed and put his arm around Taichi.

"I love you, son, and I know you'll make me proud," the king stated. Taichi smiled slightly 'How can he be so sure?' Taichi thought.

"So, Sora will be here tomorrow night," King Yagami stated. Taichi's eyes bulged out of his sockets.

"Tomorrow?! That's so early!" Taichi exclaimed. He still had to talk to Mimi. He hated everything.

"Well, we got to win this war, Taichi. You will marry her, and you'll learn to love her, even if you don't fall in love with her," the King stated confidently. Taichi took his father's arm off of his shoulders, and turned around to walk back to the castle.

"Taichi! Tai!" The king screamed, trying to get his attention. Taichi turned around, angrily.

"You don't understand! You can't learn to love someone. You love them or you don't. I can't marry her!" Taichi yelled. He was breaking down.

"I don't care at this point, Taichi. I've searched high and low to find the most suitable young lady for you, something most fathers wouldn't do. Not only that, the Takenouchi family is a very powerful ally. You _have_ to marry her Taichi, no matter what!" Taichi just kept walking, still listening to everything his father was saying, but he couldn't do any of this, he wasn't ready.

* * *

Mimi waited quietly for Taichi to enter his room. He was getting married. Mimi still couldn't believe it. She stopped pacing a few minutes ago, and was trying to sit still, but she couldn't. 

'I hate this stupid war! Tai's mine, I can't see him with some other princess…' Mimi thought. She felt tears well up in her eyes. Taichi loved her, and she knew it. Both she and Taichi will find a way to stop this wedding.

As if on cue, Taichi walked into his room, and nearly jumped out of his pants when he saw Mimi.

"God, Meems, you scared the hell out of me," Taichi stated, putting his hand to his chest. Mimi wiped her eyes, and smiled.

"Sorry…" Mimi said quietly. Tai locked his door, and sat down next to her.

"No…I'm sorry Mimi. I can't do anything to change my dad's decision," he said softly, finding his two different boots suddenly fascinating, "I don't mean to hurt you…" Mimi didn't look at him, too afraid that if she looked, she would lose him forever in a blink of an eye.

"It's not your fault, Tai. It's the war's fault." Mimi stated, gathering up the courage to look at him. She finally turned her head and tears welled up. His hair shined in the light, and his eyes sparkled. She slowly put an arm around his shoulders and moved her hand up and down his back. Taichi groaned and brought his legs to his chest, wrapping his arms around his ankles, and burying his head in his knees.

"Everything is so hard, Mimi. My dad expects so much out of me, and I hate him for doing this to me," Taichi groaned angrily, venting his feelings on Mimi.

"Tai, you don't hate him…he just doesn't know the truth."

"No, Mimi, he acts like he knows me so well, but he doesn't. I feel like everyone wants something different out of me, but I can't give it to them: my father, the kingdom, you," Taichi said, but cut himself, cursing at himself for saying that. Mimi pulled her arms away from him and sat there. Taichi just kept his mouth shut, trying not to do anymore damage, he lifts his head and looks at the floor. He didn't know where that had come from, but he knew it was true. Mimi wanted him…not just wanted him, but wanted to marry him… and he couldn't give that to her. He couldn't give her the kind of attention she wanted and needed. He knew this.

"You give me enough, Tai. I don't want anything more from you than what you're already giving me," she says while turning his head and kissing him softly. At first Taichi just sat there, but as Mimi put her arms around his neck, he slowly starts kissing her back. He was thankful that Mimi was here. Mimi dragged him down on his bed so she was under him, running her hands up and down his chest. Taichi ran his hands in her hair, forgetting his fears, forgetting his father, forgetting everything that was bugging him.

Mimi managed to unbutton his navy shirt, and moves her slender fingers across his well-built chest. She loved him so much, she needed him so much. She knew she couldn't have him because she was a maid. It was scaring her, just the thought of losing him. She moved down slowly, and kissed his neck as Taichi buried his face in her shoulder. She couldn't have him forever, but she could have him now.

Mimi kissed harder on his neck, and Taichi sighed into her partly covered shoulder. She took back her last thought and replaced it with a new one:

'I love him, and I _can_ have him…'


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's the next chapter, and I really can't believe i'm updating this much in a week, but I crave for reviews to know what all of you think, so please review. And I'm 15, by the way, not really young, but pretty young. I know some people here are younger, but anyway, the next few chapters might not be up anytime soon because i have to get my laptop repaired and it will take a week. So I'll be expecting reviews . R&R!! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of it's characters.**

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Mimi woke up the next morning in the Servant Quarters, the sun was just rising and she could hear that castle was completely quiet. She looked to her right and saw eight other beds in her room, filled with other servants. Miyako was still asleep, her lavender hair all over her face. 

A sudden churning in her stomach made her sit up in her small bed. Taichi's bride-to-be was arriving tonight. She frowned and forced herself to keep the tears in. When she and Taichi finished their 'session' last evening, he fell asleep and looked so angelic, she had wanted to cry. She had quickly dressed herself and left his room without anyone noticing, and wept in her bed the rest of the evening.

As if sensing Mimi's negative energy, Miyako's eyes fluttered open, and looked around for her glasses. When she located them and placed them on her head, she turned and saw Mimi staring at her, her honey hair braided behind her like it always was at night, so her hair wouldn't go all over the place.

"Good morning," Miyako stated cheerfully, still a little groggy, but ready to start the day. Mimi gave a half-hearted smile and returned the greeting; thinking that there was no way _this_ morning was a good one.

Miyako got up and moved around the room quietly, trying not to wake anyone else up. She looked at Mimi again and saw that she looked surprisingly sad and pale. Mimi felt her gaze on her and she looked up shyly, but quickly turned away. Miyako fixed her glasses and walked up to Mimi, then sat on her bed.

"Mimi…are you okay? You look sick." Miyako stated, trying to get Mimi to say something. Mimi turned away, again, and didn't look at her. A few seconds later, she faced Miyako and gave the biggest and most convincible grin she could conjure up.

"I feel fine actually! Doesn't it feel like a great day?" Mimi asked, trying not to break down. Miyako frowned and stared at her. She obviously didn't fall for her charade.

"Mimi…where were you last morning? Yesterday morning?" Miyako asked, trying to piece some pieces together. Mimi fidgeted with her night gown. She was never a good liar like Taichi was. He always said that she was too sincere. Mimi frowned at the thought of his smile, his eyes, his chest, his hair…everything about him. She tried not to cry in front of Miyako, but Mimi knew that Miyako felt something was wrong with her.

"I-…I was downstairs in the kitchen…trying to get some milk to help me fall back asleep, but then the queen had come into the kitchen and told me to look for Taichi because he was missing, and she didn't want to wake the other servants, so I went to look for him, and-and I…" Mimi trailed off, hitting a dead end in her lie. 'This is the worst lie in the history of lies,' Mimi thought, biting her lip to keep from breaking down. Yesterday she had been strong for Taichi, but now…she wanted someone to be strong for her…

"Mimi, the King was the first to wake up yesterday, and he yelled at everyone to look for Tai. Kari and I came downstairs, and saw that the queen had just come downstairs as well…your story doesn't make sense." Miyako stated. Mimi frowned and tried to fix herself, but with everything going on with Taichi and Ms. Princess Takenouchi, she couldn't think straight.

Mimi sniffed, brought her legs to her chest, and buried her face in her legs. She tried hard not to cry, but all the pressure was getting to her. No one comforted her yesterday, but maybe Miyako could now. Mimi shook her head in her legs; she couldn't tell Miyako… she couldn't.

"Don't tell me it's true, Mimi…don't prove my suspicions to be true…" Miyako said, stroking her back gently, moving closer so if anyone was awake, no could hear their conversation, "Mimi…why is it that whenever Tai goes missing, you're missing too? Why is it that every time you appear out of nowhere, you look flustered? Why do you and Taichi give each other strange looks all the time?"

Mimi's head jolted up, and she looked at Miyako with sudden fear. She thought quickly, but her mind wasn't functioning properly. Miyako took her hand away, and gasped, finally knowing the truth…even though she suspected it for a while now.

"Mimi! I can't believe you're-" Mimi covered Miyako's mouth quickly and scowled at her.

"Miyako, keep it down!" She whispered, giving Miyako a glare through her tears.

"I'm sorry, but this is just so…startling," Miyako trailed off and Mimi looked at her hands, "How long has this been going on? You and Taichi, I mean…how long have you two been together?" Mimi sighed and looked at Miyako. Mimi smacked herself mentally. Of course Miyako would find out, she was the only one who was with her constantly, and knew her so well. Princess Kari always had lessons, and the other servants didn't have the same connection she had with Miyako.

"Three months…but Taichi and I had always known we've liked each other since last year…but we started to get…um…into our relationship three months ago," Mimi stated, feeling a little awkward saying this in a room filled with other servants, but she was sure she was speaking soft enough and the snores were reassuring.

Miyako's eyes widened and she took Mimi's hands in hers.

"You mean…you and Taichi…you guys are…" Mimi knew what she was getting at and turned red in embarrassment. She just nodded, and Miyako's eyes bulged out so far that her glasses started to fall. She got closer to Mimi.

"You two are making love to each other?!" Miyako whispered, but the emotion and shock in her words were still present. Mimi looked at her, smiled slightly at the thought of herself and Taichi on his bed, and nodded. Miyako looked away and shook her head disapprovingly.

"This is worse than I thought…"

Mimi got angered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the tears flowed out of her eyes, and Miyako couldn't look at Mimi like this. Miyako got up, pulled Mimi with her, and dragged her to the big closet in their chambers. Mimi let even more tears fall as she remembered that this was the second time she was in a closet in the morning…but this time was awfully different. Miyako closed the door, and then moved all the way to the back, this way no one could hear them.

"Mimi, you can't be sleeping with Taichi! He's a prince! I knew there was something going on between you two, but I didn't know it was this bad!" Miyako exclaimed, still keeping her voice low.

"It's not bad! I love him, and he loves me!" Mimi retorted, but she choked on her sobs and fell to the floor. Miyako calmed down, and looked at her with pity.

"I'm sorry…I guess I shouldn't be saying anything when I don't know the story…" Miyako said glumly, sitting down next to Mimi. They both sat there in silence, and the only thing that was ever heard was Mimi's sniffles.

"You know…I'm not surprised that Tai fell for you. You're a goddess compared to most princesses. You can have any man you want." Miyako stated, looking at the ground, feeling a pang of jealousy in her chest. Mimi looked at her, and felt the envy vibes. She smiled.

"No I can't. I can't have Tai…he's to be married soon." Mimi looked out in the closet, losing herself in her thoughts. Miyako remembered that Mimi was just a maid, and Taichi was a prince…she also remembered the news that was going around the castle: Taichi's arranged marriage.

"Mimi…if he loves you, then he won't marry her, and if this Sora Takenouchi knows that Taichi's in love with another woman, maybe she won't marry him, either," Miyako offered, trying to make Mimi feel better. It worked. Mimi did smile and looked at Miyako with hopeful eyes.

"Do you think so? What if she's some kind of stuck up princess that will want Tai for herself?" Mimi asked, hoping that Miyako would think of something comforting to say.

"Well, Taichi can just drop her like a hot potato. If he loves you, he won't care about this other girl." Mimi smiled and hugged Miyako. Miyako grinned and crushed Mimi under her embrace, and then she pulled away, her face red in embarrassment. Mimi looked at her curiously.

"Is there something wrong?" Mimi asked, her voice having its normal ring. Miyako blushed and looked at the floor, then finally found her words.

"What's it like?" Miyako asked shyly. Mimi quirked an eyebrow, but soon caught on and smiled.

"Well…being in love is amazing…every time I see him, I get giddy, and he's just so handsome, I can't help myself-"

"No…not that," Miyako interrupted, blushing even more, "What's it like to make love?" Mimi blushed and looked at the floor.

"Well…I can tell you that it's amazing. I mean- there's no word for it. The more I make love to him, the more I want him. I've never felt this way about anybody before." Miyako nodded, soaking in Mimi's words.

"He is amazingly handsome," Miyako stated, "You're too lucky." Mimi grinned and poked Miyako.

"Hands off, Miyako, he's mine," Mimi said with a laugh and Miyako laughed as well. Then Mimi got serious.

"Miyako…don't tell anyone. Not a single soul. If I can't see him anymore, or be with him anymore, I don't know what I'll do. I just might go crazy," Mimi stated, staring at Miyako. She nodded and Mimi sighed, giving her one last hug and then they both got up and exited the closet.

The bedroom was still filled with sleeping servants, and then there was a knock on the door. Mimi wiped her eyes just in case they were still puffy as Miyako answered the door. Princess Kari entered, ready as always.

"Good morning," she whispered to Miyako and Mimi. Mimi frowned a little, remembering what was happening today, but kept herself optimistic with Miyako's words. Miyako greeted Kari, and let her in.

"You know, princess, I feel awkward that you're waking me up now-a-days, when it's my job to wake you up," Miyako said as she rummaged for her dress. Kari laughed and sat on Miyako's bed, as Mimi went to her bed to grab her dress.

"I was wondering, Miyako, if you wanted to go to the market place today before Princess Sora arrives. Maybe we could buy her a few gifts," Kari stated, looking at the ground. Mimi's stomach clenched she bit her lip to stop herself from crying, or screaming that girl's name in disgust. Miyako noticed this and glanced at Mimi, but then back at Kari.

"You should come too, Mimi. So what do you ladies say?" Kari asked cheerfully but Miyako could see something in her eyes that wasn't as cheery.

"Why, all of the sudden, do you want to go? You could ask Koushiro could pick something up for you like he always does…" Miyako said curiously. Kari looked at Miyako then out the window located near Mimi's bed.

"I thought maybe could just get away for today, you know? I'm tired of all this war nonsense, and I want to just go out and have fun with my friends," Kari stated, staring at Mimi. Mimi stared back and felt terribly guilty for what she had to say next.

"I'm sorry, Kari. I have so many chores I have to get done today, and I won't be able to come," Mimi felt horrible, but she couldn't go. Not only did she have to speak with Taichi, but she also couldn't go to the marketplace to buy Princess Sora anything. Her name made Mimi want to throw something. Miyako knew the reason as well, but she also wanted to make Kari happy.

"I can go Kari, no problem, but let's be back before the Princess arrives. I have to finish some chores as well," and Miyako was saying the truth. Mimi didn't get angry, she knew that Miyako was being a good friend and she smiled at her. Kari grinned and hugged Miyako, not holding in any ounce of her happiness.

"Thank you! I'm sorry you can't go Mimi, are you sure you don't want me to relieve you from chores today so you can come?" Kari asked sweetly.

"No thanks, it's alright. I-I don't want to feel bad about skipping chores and all…" Mimi said, trying her best to lie and not fail like she had with Miyako. Kari nodded, feeling tension and dropping the subject as she helped the girls get ready. Mimi's thoughts trailed, and her heart lurched when she heard the horns being blown for everyone in the castle to wake up. Taichi was probably wondering why she wasn't by his side, on his bed.

* * *

Taichi's eyes slowly opened at the sound of the horns and his body slowly started to wake as well. He groaned and rolled over, trying to cover his ears with his pillow. He noticed something missing and then remembered what had happened yesterday. His body tensed and he screamed into his bed. Today was the day. She was coming. 'The day my life will be ruined forever,' he thought grouchily. 

After a while, he noticed Mimi wasn't beside him. He got up and became suddenly cold. He blushed when he forgot that he didn't have his clothes on because he and Mimi were together yesterday afternoon. 'Did I sleep through dinner?' he thought and then grumbled and dressed himself in his night clothes. After that, he walked towards the opposite side of his chambers towards the bath that his servants had made.

* * *

Fumbling to button his navy shirt as he left his room, Taichi walked into someone on his way down the hallway. He immediately apologized and looked into those familiar honey eyes. Mimi looked up at him and smiled as he helped her up, but wasn't greeted back with a smile from him. Taichi looked at the floor, and fidgeted with his loose button. 

Mimi frowned and also looked at the floor. Before either of them said anything, Mimi reached up and finished buttoning up his shirt. Taichi gazed at her intently, wishing there was something he could say. As she finished buttoning the last button, she got on her toes and whispered in Taichi's ear.

"I'll always love you," Taichi looked at her as she returned to her normal stance.

"I know, Mimi," he said and Mimi leaned forward to kiss him. As her lips brushed his, he felt a longing and kissed back passionately, wrapping his arms around her waist. Mimi moaned into his mouth, but pulled away when she remembered why she had come to see him.

"Tai, I have to tell you something…"Mimi said softly, taking his hand. Taichi looked at her curiously with his stunning chocolate eyes, and Mimi wanted to return to what they were doing before, but stopped herself. She dragged him into a secluded corner and blurted everything out.

"Miyako knows." Taichi looked at her with question.

"Miyako knows what?" he asked, still not sure what Mimi was talking about. After a few seconds of staring at her, it hit him and he almost lost control of himself.

"She _knows_?!" he cried grabbing onto her shoulders. Mimi bit her lip and looked at the floor ashamed.

"She had suspicions, Tai, and I'm a horrible liar so she basically figured it out herself." Mimi said shuffling her feet. Taichi looked at her and then leaned against the wall.

"Everything was perfect before this arranged marriage. I hate this, Mimi…maybe we should just tell my parents about us and maybe we could convince them that you can marry me instead." Taichi thought, running a hand through his hair, which was damp from his bath. Mimi looked at him alarmed.

"Tai, we can't do that! You know you're parents will kick me out, and then we'll never be able to be together! Besides, they would never let us marry because I can't give this kingdom troops, or land, or anything," Mimi tried to hold in the tears but they spilled out. Taichi felt bad for suggesting the idea and let Mimi fall into his arms, and cry into his chest.

"Miyako won't tell anyone, will she?" He asked her, changing the subject when Mimi calmed down.

"No, Tai. She promised and I trust her. We're okay for now, but we won't be when you get married." Taichi winced. How was he going to get out of this marriage? He stroked her hair gently and sighed.

"Don't worry, Mimi. I won't get married to her. I'll make sure of that."

* * *

Kari walked down the stairs and into the meeting room where she had been told her father was. She saw him sitting in his big throne, his right hand holding up his head, and his left reading a letter of some sort. 

"Father…?" Kari asked cautiously, not wanting to disturb her father. King Yagami looked up and smiled tiredly at his daughter.

"Good Morning, Kari, do you need anything?" Kari had come to ask for permission to go to the market place, but now she was worried about her father. His hair looked dull, and his face looked more tired that usual. How long had he been awake? Did he get any sleep? Kari walked up to him and sat in Taichi's throne so she could be near him.

"Father, are you alright?" Kari asked, looking up at him. He looked down at her and sighed, dropping the letter on the floor.

"Everything is quite alright, Kari…" the King said quietly, but Kari knew he was lying.

"Tell me the truth, father. What's wrong?" Kari's heart didn't want to know, because her heart knew that she wouldn't be able to take bad news, but her mind was hungry for knowledge. The King sighed and sat up straighter in his throne.

"Kari…we need more troops, and we need more support. The only way we can get that support is through this marriage alliance, but you're brother can't seem to understand how important this marriage is. I went and looked everywhere for a girl that Taichi would find suitable, and when I found Sora, I was blown away. She would be great for this kingdom because of her knowledge…but you're brother is anything but reasonable," he paused and Kari looked at the floor, hating her brother for making the wrong decisions, but surprised that she felt that way.

"If Taichi and Sora get married, we'll obtain all the alliances that the Takenouchi kingdom has. We will be unstoppable…the sooner the better…but I doubt sooner is a possibility." The King continued. Kari got up and hugged her father.

"Most kings just look for the kingdom that will benefit them the most, and then have their children married. Father, you wanted to make Tai happy and went out of your way to do something that would make everyone content. If Tai can't see that, then he doesn't have what it takes to be king yet," Kari explained. The King looked up at her, shocked. It hurt her to say such horrible things about Taichi, but it was true. Her brother was too selfish, too arrogant, and she hated that she was noticing this because she loved her brother so much. Trying not to cry, she changed the subject back to her original reason for coming here.

"Um…would I be able to go to the market place with Miyako today?" She asked, sitting back in Taichi's throne. The King looked at her, sighed, and nodded.

"Take Ken with you, though. I don't want anything to happen to you." Kari smiled, gave her father a peck on the cheek, and went in search of Ken.

As she left the meeting room, she stopped outside to see Taichi standing there, waiting. Kari stared for a while then was about to walk away when he started talking.

"Was he angry?" Taichi asked. Kari glared at him and fixed her tiara.

"He feels horrible, Taichi," Kari stated, and she saw the way he winced when she spat out his full name. It hurt her to be so angry with him, but what would it take for him to start thinking more about everyone else and less for himself?

"He's already stressed out, so why don't you just listen to him? He tried so hard to find you a promising girl, but you still don't listen to him. Do you want this war to be over or not?" Kari stated viciously. The war was killing her. People out there dying, and all Taichi had to do was marry a princess and everything would be over. Taichi looked at her, hurt, and her anger melted into sadness.

"I hate this war just as much as you do, Kari. I lost Yamato's friendship over it, and now I'm starting to lose everything else," Taichi paused and looked down at the floor, "I know I'm letting the kingdom and father down, but…I can't do this, Kari. I just can't." Kari glared at him again, and her heart hurt for him, and for herself. She couldn't say anything but just walked away. She had to get out of here.

* * *

Miyako, Ken, and Princess Kari rode in comfortable silence in the carriage that was on its way to the market place. Well, it was almost comfortable. Miyako could tell that something was bothering Kari, and didn't want to ask her in the presence of Ken. Ken, who was their guard for the trip, is part of the King's men, but just guards the castle. Anytime Kari went out, she would always take Ken because he would never ask questions, he would just follow orders. 

Kari stared out at the beautiful land that was her kingdom. She smiled at how peaceful it looked, but she had seen the borders of the kingdom and they were utterly horrible. That's what this whole war was about: Borders and land. The Ishida kingdom had made an agreement with the Yagami kingdom, before the war, that let the Ishida kingdom move their border more into the Yagami Territory. King Yagami barely agreed, but when there was a dispute between the Ishida men and a local village near the area that would still be part of the Yagami kingdom, King Yagami had become very angry.

King Ishida and his men were trying to move further into the Yagami Kingdom, way further than what the agreement let them, and the Yagami kingdom declared war.

Kari felt it was completely foolish and that there didn't need to be a war over borders, but both kings were stubborn…like Taichi.

Kari frowned at the thought of him. She still felt horrible for the way she treated him. She didn't know what came over her. This whole war was getting to everyone. The sound of Ken's voice brought Kari back from her thoughts.

"We're here, Princess. How long do we plan to spend here?" Ken asked politely. Kari smiled at the blue haired boy.

"Not long, Ken. We'll be back before Princess Sora gets here," Kari said and Ken nodded. Ken got out of the carriage first to help the girls get of, Kari first. When Miyako was about to come down, she hesitated in taking Ken's hand and then blushed at the warmth of it. As she came down, she saw Kari, who was dressed casually in a yellow dress and had no tiara so she would fit in, smirking straight at her. Miyako scowled.

"Is there something wrong, _your highness_?" Miyako asked, trying to get on her best friend's nerves, but wasn't succeeding because Kari grinned and looked back at Ken, who was talking to the carriage controller.

"I think someone has feelings for Sir Ken," Kari slyly stated while bobbing her eyebrows at Miyako. Miyako scowled yet again, her lavender hair shining in the light.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Miyako stated, a blush rising to her cheeks. Kari smiled.

"Of course you don't," she said deviously, "Come on, let's go look at some jewelry, shall we?" Miyako smiled, and was relieved at the subject change. Ken followed after, keeping a healthy distance from the girls, but watched as they shopped. Kari looked through all of the bracelets, loving how they looked so simple, and not as fancy as they are when she has jewelers make them for her. Miyako smiled.

"This is nice, you know? We never have time to just relax and have fun. I'm glad you thought of this, Kari," she said hugging Kari. Kari laughed and hugged back.

"I think both of us could just use some time to ourselves," Kari said, pulling away and examining the jewelry again.

Both of the girls giggled and enjoyed themselves, trying on casual dresses, and shoes. They even saw a puppet show that was being held to entertain the kids of the kingdom. One of the little girls sat on Kari's lap and they both laughed throughout the entire show. Kari felt, for once, normal. Like everything bad that had happened just faded away.

Kari and Miyako were walking back to the carriage slowly, trying to savor the trip for as long as possible, when a young man bumped into Kari and she fell to the ground. Ken quickly came to see if Kari was alright.

"I'm so sorry! I was in such a hurry and I wasn't watching where I was going," the young man stated. Kari looked up at him and got lost in pools of blue. He looked her age, with bright blond hair and hypnotizing blue eyes. He was wearing a long, dirty, brown robe so it was hard to see what he was wearing under it. Kari stared at him for a while, and blushed when she noticed she was on the floor, staring at a person she didn't know.

"I-it's quite alright," Kari stated, as Miyako and Ken helped her up. The young man frowned.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked casually and Kari studied him a little more. He did look a little familiar, as if she'd seen him in a dream.

"I don't think we've ever met," Kari said cautiously. Her mother had always told her never to give her name out in public, especially in times of war because it could be dangerous. Ken stepped up, and the young man got the hint.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, I'll be on my way now," and with that, the mysterious blond haired, blue eyed young man disappeared into the crowd.

Kari stared for a while then turned back to Miyako. Miyako shrugged and Ken looked up at the sky.

"I think we should take our leave as well, your highness. It's the afternoon and there is still work to be done at the castle for Princess Sora's arrival." Kari nodded at Ken, but took one quick glance back in the direction the young man had left. He had looked strangely familiar.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Heres chapter 3, hope you enjoy. _Please review, I'm begging you_. Thanks to the reviewers that took the time to, it made my day. Okay, my laptop is being shipped out today, so I tried to get this chapter up as quickly as i could. Now some Taiora will start from this chapter on, but theres not so much in this chapter. Hope you like it, and review!

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.**

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The moment was almost here.

Princess Sora Takenouchi would be at the castle very soon. The afternoon sun blazed in the sky, and Taichi was lying on his bed, his hands folded behind his head, staring out the big window near it. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. He was going to talk to his father about the marriage and everything, but when Kari walked out of the meeting room, his plans had changed. She had been so angry, and so furious, that Taichi couldn't help but feel aggravated with himself. He didn't know he was causing her, or his father, this much pain.

He loved Mimi…but was it worth hurting everyone else in the process, including the kingdom? Taichi opened his eyes and shook his head. Mimi was worth it. She didn't deserve to be hurt. He let out another sigh. Everything was so confusing.

Someone knocked on Taichi's door and he called for the person to come in, hoping it was Mimi so they could be together one last time before it was too late. To his dismay, his mother slowly entered, her long navy dress dragging behind her, and her gold crown placed effortlessly on her head.

"May I have a word with you, Tai?" she asked sweetly, in her motherly voice. Taichi felt like a little boy, and he wanted to cry on her lap from being under all the stress. It was too bad that he was seventeen, and he couldn't act that way. All he did was turn his head and mumble a 'yeah'. Queen Yagami walked gracefully over to Taichi and sat on his bed, right near his waist. He stared into her eyes, and she looked at him sadly.

"Tai, I know you don't want to marry Sora…but for everyone's sake will you just give her a chance?" she asked slowly. Taichi bit the insides of his mouth, hating to have this conversation with his mother. She sighed and brought her hands to Taichi's head, and stroked his hair. He didn't want to look vulnerable in front of his mother so he turned away, leaning on his side. He heard her sigh again.

"Your father felt very bad last night, Taichi, especially when you didn't come to dinner. He thought you were extremely angry with him," Her mother stated matter-of-factly. Taichi made a face, and sorrow filled his chest. He had been with Mimi and was too tired and worn out to go to dinner. Did he really make his father feel that bad? His throat tightened. He was hurting everyone. No matter what he did, he would hurt someone. His mother must have felt him tense up, because she walked to the other side of the bed and saw how upset and confused he looked. She took her hand and gingerly brought it to his forehead and up into his hair.

"No one said that being a king, or even a prince, would be easy. I know you'll make the right choice, Tai. I have faith in you, and so does you're father. I don't know what's going on with you, and it scares me, but you're becoming a man, and I have to let you choose your own path, as much as it hurts for me to watch you go," Queen Yagami said, her brown hair shining in the sun's light. Taichi saw tears form in her eyes and he sat up slowly and hugged her, definitely feeling like a little boy. His mother was right, whatever choice he made, he had to make it for himself and not for anyone else.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to meet her…you and father never said I had to like her," Taichi stated as he pulled away and got up off his bed. Queen Yagami wiped away her tears, and teasingly scolded. Taichi gave his signature grin and thanked his mother for being there for him, but before his mother left, he had to know something.

"Is Kari angry at me?" he asked, sorrow filling his chocolate eyes. Queen Yagami looked at him with sympathy.

"I don't know, Tai. When she left for the market place, she seemed a little upset," she said sincerely. Taichi looked at the floor, hating himself for hurting her. Queen Yagami took her finger and poked Taichi's chin up. She smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Come on, Sora will be here soon, so don't get all upset now. Go get ready," Taichi smiled at his mother and thought about everything when she left. He agreed to meet her, but he didn't have to like her.

* * *

Mimi smiled as Kari, Miyako, and Ken walked through the main entrance. She had been kind of lonely without them. The last time she was with Taichi was when she had told him that Miyako found out about their relationship, and she didn't have the guts to see him again. Mimi knew she should because soon she won't be able to see him at all, but she was scared that she might break down and cry if she saw him.

As Kari and Miyako walked towards the stairs, they both said a quick greeting to Mimi. Miyako stopped for a second as Kari went up the stairs.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Mimi with concern. Mimi smiled.

"I'm hanging in there. Who knows how I'll act when the princess gets here. You might have to tie me down to a pole to stop me from attacking her," Mimi said jokingly. Miyako smiled wearily.

"How did Tai take the news of me finding out?" Miyako asked with sudden curiosity. Mimi's smiled disappeared.

"He took it pretty well…I don't think he's happy about it, but he knows you'll keep it a secret," Mimi explained. Miyako nodded, understanding his feelings.

"Where is Taichi?" Miyako asked, before she walked up the stairs. Mimi shrugged.

"He's probably getting ready. He has to be dressed formally when the princess arrives," Mimi said disgustedly. Miyako gave her a pity smile and then headed to the servants quarters to get changed into her maid outfit. Mimi sighed and got back to the windows. She stared out and saw a row of three horse carriages coming through the gates of the castle. Her heart dropped. They were here early.

As if on cue, the trumpets started to play, and the guards around the castle ran to the entrance to help the carriages. Kari came down the stairs gracefully, meeting Mimi's eyes.

"Are they here already?" Kari asked excitedly. Mimi looked at the floor and then back at Kari. She was so excited for Princess Sora to be here, but would she ever be that excited if she knew that Mimi and Taichi were in love? Mimi wondered.

"Yes, I believe so," Mimi replied. Kari gave a quick grin and saw her mother come down the stairs.

"They're here? Already?" she asked Kari. Kari nodded and they both quickly went in search of King Yagami. Mimi sighed. She seemed to be the only one who could care less if all the carriages sank under the ground.

Mimi's heart fluttered as she heard a clicking of boots come down the stairs. She turned around and saw Taichi coming down the steps, buttoning his shirt while doing so. She smiled softly at his foolishness. 'Why does he save the buttons for last?' she thought. As he walked in her direction, he was so focused on his shirt that he didn't notice that Mimi was there. She giggled and stopped him before he knew that it was Mimi who was pulling him. She pulled him to a place under the staircase and took care of the buttons on his silk blue shirt.

Taichi stared at Mimi's face, taking in her beautiful features. She worked her way up, taking her time on each button. Taichi looked down and tried to help her, but she moved his hand away. In the process, Mimi saw his bare chest, and her heart jumped. She slowly leaned forward kissing his chest and she heard Taichi take in a sharp breath.

"Mimi-" he whispered but was interrupted by her lips. He gladly kissed back and held her for all her worth. Mimi wanted this kiss to be special. She wanted him to remember it when he saw Sora. Taichi pulled away when he felt Mimi unbuttoning the already buttoned buttons. He chuckled.

"We're not getting anywhere," he said, referring to his shirt. Mimi giggled and buttoned everything quickly. She felt his gaze on her.

"I'm meeting her, Mimi, but that doesn't mean I have to like her," He said to her and to himself for the umpteenth time, taking Mimi's hands in his. She looked at him.

"I know…I love you, Tai," she said, and she did have to wait for a reply.

"You know I feel the same way," and with one last kiss, Taichi left their hiding place, headed for the Main Room.

* * *

When Taichi entered the room, his father, mother, and sister were already standing in their welcoming positions, talking to King Takenouchi and Queen Takenouchi. He cursed and walked faster to his spot. Once he was almost there, everyone turned because they could hear him approaching. The first thing Taichi saw was the disapproving look he got from his father.

"I'm sorry I'm late…" Taichi muttered and walked into his spot, his navy silk shirt bearing the Yagami emblem.

"It's quite alright, my boy," King Takenouchi said with a smile, his dark auburn hair full of life, "we were the ones who came early." Taichi tried to smile back, but the only thing that appeared was a slight raise in the corner of his mouth. He looked at Queen Takenouchi and bowed at. She smiled at him.

"You seem like the perfect young man for my daughter," she said with sweetness in her voice, her brown eyes looking very content. Taichi tried to smile again, but failed miserably. He could feel Kari glaring at him, just like his father. He was trying; they should give him some credit.

Something caught Taichi's eye that caused him to look up at the entrance. A young woman with ginger hair, and mesmerizing auburn eyes entered the building. She was chatting happily with Ken, a guard that worked at the castle. His parents were still talking with Queen and King Takenouchi, but Taichi watched the young woman's movement with close detail. This was Sora Takenouchi. She slowly walked beside her parents and smiled at everyone.

King Yagami was the first to acknowledge her and Taichi was surprised at how beautiful she was. He slapped himself mentally for thinking such things when he was with Mimi.

"My, Sora, you seem to grow more beautiful everyday!" King Yagami walked over to her and hugged her. Sora smiled and curtsied, still showing manners. Queen Yagami gave Sora a quick peck on the cheek and Sora also showed the same manners. King Yagami moved next to Kari and put an arm around her.

"Sora, this is Princess Kari, our daughter," He explained. Kari smiled and curtsied. Taichi could tell by Kari's eyes that she approved of Sora. Taichi rolled his. His father came beside Taichi, but didn't put an arm around him, that depressed him greatly.

"And this is Prince Taichi, our son, and hopefully your future husband," Taichi looked at the ground after hearing the word 'husband' leave his fathers mouth. He could feel Sora curtsy and Taichi bowed. He slowly looked at her and was surprised at how soft, and innocent she looked. He rolled his eyes a little, feeling that she was wasting her time, because he was not going to fall for her. Sora caught his act, and looked at the floor. King Yagami nudged Taichi in the ribs and Taichi winced.

"Well I'm sure you all must be tired from your trip, so why don't we show you to your rooms?" Queen Yagami asked, giving Taichi a pleading look to cooperate.

"Taichi, why don't you show Sora to her room? It's right next to Kari's." King Yagami suggested. Taichi snorted to himself, but he felt a little awkward when Sora heard it.

"Kari can show her, I mean, it's on her way," Taichi blurted rudely. Sora bit her lip and looked away, clearly getting annoyed.

"It's okay, I don't need to go to my room now," Sora stated. Taichi looked up at her. Her voice was angelic and sweet. That was definitely unexpected. He could feel Kari's glare, as well as his father's. He sighed, he was overpowered.

"I was just teasing, come on, I'll show you to your room," He said, walking towards the stairs. He couldn't hear Sora following, and looked back. She was staring straight at him, as if she was trying to read him, to figure him out. He shivered. How could she make him feel so intimidated? Slowly she followed him.

As he got to the hall, Taichi was relieved that Mimi had left. He wouldn't be able to look at her right now, not while Sora Takenouchi was following. He walked a good distance ahead of her, and made sure she was following so he wouldn't have to wait for her to catch up. He glanced in her direction for a second and smiled when he saw her looking around the castle, her green and red dress (the Takenouchi colors) dragging behind her. Taichi shook his head, and kept walking forward, and felt Sora speeding up to keep up with him.

Taichi quickly sped up the staircase, and let out a frustrated sigh when he heard Sora taking her sweet little time. When she reached the top he continued walking, and could feel Sora giving him an odd look. Once they got closer to her room, he felt her stop and turned to see her a few feet behind him, looking at a painting on the wall. He twisted his face in annoyance and waited. When he saw her put her finger on her chin, and tilt her head to examine the painting, he got tired of waiting.

"You're room isn't anywhere near there!" he yelled to get her attention. Sora turned and looked at him with her fire eyes. Taichi tapped his foot and waited. Sora just blinked and got back to looking at the painting. Taichi's head almost blew off as he stomped back to her, wondering what could be so damn interesting about a painting. As he got near her, he could sense her calmness and that got even more on his nerves.

"Do you hear me? I have other things I have to get done and don't have an hour to show you to your room," he stated, irritated. Sora looked at him again and smirked.

"I've just gotten here, and I was admiring this painting. Is there something wrong with that?" She asked quirking her brow. Taichi glared and folded his arms, tired of her and her stupid games.

"Yes. There is. No one stands in the middle of a hallway to stare at a damn painting. It's nothing but a few trees and animals, anyway. It's nothing interesting," he said, running his hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down. Sora smiled again and then started walking away, leaving him there, staring at her as if she grew a tail. He gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Why is she so irritating?" he asked softly to himself, staying in his spot, his arms folded tightly on his chest. Sora turned and smirked, again, hearing his comment.

"I'm not irritating, Taichi, you just get irritated easily," she said matter-of-factly, "now where would my room be?" He grumbled something and led her quietly to her room.

* * *

Mimi waited quietly in Taichi's room, dreading and looking forward to seeing him. What was this Sora like? Did Taichi favor her? Was he going to leave her for Sora? Mimi shook her head. Taichi wouldn't leave her. He loved her. And she loved him. That's final.

As if on cue, again, Taichi walked into his room and jumped when he saw Mimi waiting on his bed. He mumbled something to himself.

"Stop scaring the crap out of me, would you?" he stated angrily. Mimi looked at him quizzically. There was a short pause.

"Was she that horrible?" Mimi asked directly. Taichi gave Mimi a strange look and sat next to her, glaring at the floor.

"She was worse than horrible. I don't know where my father got the idea that_ she _was suitable for me," Taichi stated, putting his arm around Mimi. Mimi smiled and brought his face to hers, kissing him softly.

"It's good to hear that you don't favor her. That makes me feel so much better," Mimi said sweetly and kissed him harder. Taichi blinked and pulled away.

"Mimi…I told you that I love you. Why do you still have doubts?" he asked quietly, moving his hand and rubbing it on her cheek. Mimi looked at his bed sheets.

"I don't know. I guess everyone worries if their love truly loves them," Mimi said. Taichi pulled away from her and glared at the floor even harder than he was before. Mimi sighed, got off the bed and kneeled in front of him, taking his hands in hers.

"Tai…us _women_, we always get jealous, you know? I'm sorry. It's just that I hate the thought of you being with her, and spending all your time with another girl," Mimi said truly, feeling relieved to tell him the truth. Taichi looked at her sadly and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. Mimi smiled. She got up and kissed him passionately, not holding back at all. She slowly pushed him back and rested on top of him.

Taichi sighed into her mouth, finally feeling relaxed after that stuck-up Sora Takenouchi entered his life. He didn't know why, but Sora really made him want to scream. She wasn't like other girls, and he meant that in a bad way. When he felt Mimi running her hands under his shirt, he moaned and pulled away.

"Mimi, we can't do this now. I have to get ready for dinner. It's the evening already," he said with disappointment. Mimi stopped herself and was breathing shallowly. She frowned.

"You know when I get in the mood you shouldn't stop me," Mimi stated as she got off him and fixed herself. Taichi grinned and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Alright, I'll leave now, but I'll see you at dinner, right?" Mimi asked sweetly, her honey eyes twinkling. Taichi smiled.

"Of course, make sure you're in the dining room at all times," he said and Mimi hugged him quickly and left. Mimi really knew how to cheer him up.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Miyako, that boy looked extremely familiar," Kari stated, putting the finishing touches on her evening gown for dinner. Miyako rolled her eyes. Kari had kept saying the same words over and over again, speaking of the same odd young man they saw earlier that day at the market place.

"Kari, you're losing it. I didn't recognize that boy at all, and I've been in this castle almost as long as you have," she stated with a sigh. Kari smiled and fixed her tiara, "Besides, he was a commoner, so there is no way you could have met him before."

Kari sighed and gave up.

"Fine, fine, Miyako, you're right," Kari said playfully and smirked. Miyako smiled. She wondered how Mimi was doing, now that the princess had arrived.

"So, how was Princess Sora?" Miyako asked Kari, who was seated at her dresser located in her chambers. Miyako swung her legs as she sat on Kari's pink bed.

"She's beautiful, I must say. I definitely didn't imagine her to look the way she does. Not only that, she's so sweet. You could just tell by the way she talked," Kari said brightly, turning to Miyako, her eyes shining with glee. Miyako seemed happy, but felt horrible for Mimi at the same time.

"I'm surprised that Taichi acted so rudely to her. He's really being a fool," Kari said softly, the happiness leaving her body in a quick second. Miyako looked up. 'At least Taichi's being loyal…maybe he does love Mimi the way Mimi loves him' Miyako thought.

"Maybe he wasn't attracted to her, or maybe he just didn't like her. It happens," Miyako explained, trying not to give too much information away. Kari looked at Miyako and sighed.

"Maybe, I don't know. He has to like her, though. They have to get married. This war has to end," Kari said firmly, staring at the ground and glaring at the rug. Miyako felt her stomach churn. If Taichi doesn't marry Sora, then their kingdom might not win, but if Taichi does marry Sora, then he will be betraying Mimi. It looked as if Taichi was in a bad situation.

"It's his decision, Kari. There's nothing we can do about it," Miyako stated flatly, feeling horrible for Mimi. Kari drifted off and mumbled something to herself that Miyako couldn't hear:

"Maybe there is something I can do about it…"

* * *

The cooks in the kitchen were running around, trying to finish the dinner in time. They only had a few minutes till both royal families sat down to eat. Mimi, Miyako, and a few other maids were quickly setting up the large, elaborate table, and were relieved when the finished just in time.

Mimi's heart pumped as she heard the families enter the dining area. She turned, hoping to see Taichi, but was disappointed and angered when she saw a gorgeous red-head enter with her family. Mimi knew that this was Sora Takenouchi, who was clothed in a flattering red dress. Her fiery hair flowed behind her as she walked and her bangs slightly, but gently, covered her left eye. Her delicate tiara rested effortlessly on her head, as if it were a halo, but her most striking feature, Mimi noticed, were her amber eyes.

Mimi's face twisted in disgust as Sora chatted happily with Koushiro, who was laughing at one of her comments. Her parents didn't seem to mind that she was talking to a servant, and Sora looked as if she definitely didn't care that she was talking with a servant. Mimi hated her already. She was perfect.

Then a thought came to Mimi: 'But Taichi doesn't love her, he loves me no matter how beautiful, or intelligent she might be'. This made her relax and she tried to hold in her grin when she saw Taichi walking into the dinning area with his family. Mimi smirked to herself when she saw that his shirt was actually buttoned.

They all took their seats and Taichi gave Mimi a quick glance and a quick smile. Mimi's heart lurched. She loved him. She needed him. Mimi took a deep breath, trying to calm her raging nerves and hormones. She did, however, cringe when Sora took her seat next to Taichi, but found out that it was set up that way on purpose by the rest of the families.

Miyako nudged Mimi to come into the kitchen so they could start bringing food out and Koushiro finished his last statements with Sora and came into the kitchen as well. As Koushiro entered, Mimi couldn't help but ask him questions.

"So…what did you and the princess talk about?" she asked calmly while cutting a few carrots for the heck of it. Koushiro grinned as if just thinking of the conversation made him happy.

"Well I gave her a tour of the castle, and I found out that she has the most charming personality. Taichi could not have gotten luckier," Koushiro stated. Mimi tightened her lips to keep from screaming at him. She also stopped cutting the carrots to prevent from 'accidentally' stabbing him. She just smiled and walked away. Miyako could sense how angry Mimi was and gave Koushiro an evil glare. He just shrugged his shoulders and washed a few dishes, grinning at the thought of Sora.

* * *

Outside, in the dinning room, Taichi fidgeted with his napkin, wanting to leave so badly. Just Sora's presence made him want to run away. She, on the other hand, was having a casual conversation with Kari, who was sitting on her left. Sora's laughter rang through the dinning room, and Taichi bit his lip at how sweet and melodic it sounded.

Taichi glanced at her, and noticed how straight she was sitting, and how her hands were resting gracefully in her lap. She looked so…natural. Taichi also noticed how long her eyelashes were, and how they brought out her eyes beautifully. He turned away when he felt Sora turn to look at him, as if she felt his gaze.

King Yagami was speaking with King Takenouchi about matters on war and Queen Yagami and Takenouchi listened intently, smiling and nodding. Taichi tried not to turn and look at Sora, who was giving him a strange look of curiosity.

"Is there something wrong, Taichi?" Sora asked kindly. Taichi turned his head a little and raised an irritated eyebrow.

"It's Tai," he stated brusquely. Sora smirked and rested her chin on her hand.

"Taichi has a better ring to it," She offered. He wrinkled his nose.

"Well, you wouldn't know. Everyone calls me Tai, and when they don't, I get angry," he said looking at her with a slight glare, but when she chuckled, his anger faded away.

"You always seem to be angry, so it won't matter if I call you Taichi," She said with a slight smile. He gave her a good glower and grabbed the end of his napkin to keep in his rage.

"I'm not _always_ angry," he retorted with defiance. Sora smirked, again, and sighed.

"You're proving my point," and with that she turned back and talked with Kari. He bit his lip in irritation. How was he ever going to deal with her?

After a few minutes, servants started to come out with the food, and placed it on the table. Mimi came out and placed a plate of corn gently on the table and glanced at Taichi. Taichi looked at her for a second and grinned. Mimi always came at a great time. As she left, he became upset. He would do anything to leave this place and be upstairs in his bedroom with Mimi right now.

As everyone started to dig into the food, Taichi sat there, staring at his empty plate while everyone was comfortably conversing. He thought about how angry his father was with him, and how upset Kari was at him. They hadn't said a word to him all day. It was hopeless; he was never going to be able to please his father. Everything he does is a failure to them.

As if sensing something was wrong with Taichi, Sora hesitated, and then placed her hand on his knee. He jumped a little when he felt her hand, and snapped out of his thoughts.

"Are you alright? You haven't eaten anything…" Sora stated. Her voice was low. Taichi tensed when he felt the heat coming from her hand, and how it made him feel awkward. He looked up into her eyes and saw true concern. He didn't know what he was feeling, but shifted a little in his seat, and Sora took her hand away, looking at her napkin.

"Um…may I be excused? I'm not feeling very well…" Taichi asked, not wanting to give details. Queen Yagami looked at him with worry and King Yagami gave him a look filled with disappointment and concern, then nodded and waved him off. Taichi's heart sank. Taichi's actions weren't helping his relationship with his father. He slowly got up, and left the room. Kari bit her lip and glared at her food.

Sora stared at her napkin, still feeling uneasy with what happened. She had to speak with Taichi, no matter how arrogant he was. Something was wrong, and she could sense it. Sora looked up and bit her lip.

"May I be excused, as well?" she asked shyly. Everyone stared at her, and then with a grin, King Yagami nodded and let her leave. Sora smiled and got up from her seat, and left through the same door that Taichi had.

Mimi and Miyako came through the kitchen door, holding extra bread. Mimi placed it on the table and looked around for Taichi. She wondered where he went, but noticed that Princess Sora was also missing. Her stomach twisted. Where had they gone? After she placed the bread on the table, she walked angrily back into the kitchen.

Miyako noticed everything, and followed Mimi back into the kitchen. Once they were in there, she caught Mimi's elbow and turned her around.

"Don't worry, Mimi. Tai's probably showing her around the castle some more because their parents told him too," Miyako reassured. Mimi stared at her, and shut her eyes tightly, trying to hold back the tears. She hugged Miyako tightly, and everyone was too busy working to notice.

"I hate her, Miyako. I really do," she stated. Miyako hugged back and stared at the floor. One flaw that Mimi had was that she got jealous easily.

* * *

Sora found her way to the staircase, guessing that Taichi was probably in his room. As she walked up the stairs, she tried to find someone to ask where his room was, and was lucky enough to find a servant boy to ask. He led her straight to the door which would let Sora enter into Taichi's chambers.

When the servant boy left, she knocked lightly on Taichi's door, hoping he would be in there. When she heard a mumble of some sort, she opened it and found Taichi resting on his bed, his hands tucked behind his head, staring at the ceiling. His chocolate eyes turned and stared at Sora's face. She smiled meekly and closed the door behind her, walking up to Taichi.

Taichi watched Sora's every movement, waiting to hear what she had to say. He noticed her evening gown for the first time. It was all red, accenting her figure and her features. She stopped at his bed, but didn't sit down. She didn't look at him anymore, but at the ground. Taichi turned away and bit his lip, staring out his window. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, but Mimi. He heard her sigh and then heard her sweet voice begin to talk.

"Taichi…I want to know why you don't want this marriage to take place," Sora declared, her red eyes waiting for him to answer. Taichi turned and looked up at her. He slowly got up and sat upright on his bed, his heart raced. What should he say?

"I-I just don't want to get married. I'm not ready…," Taichi said slowly. He was telling the truth, but stretching it in a way. Sora looked at him deeply and smiled, then sat down next to him. He could smell her sweet scent.

"Do you think I'm ready? It's hard, Taichi, but it's our duty. I know you don't want to, but maybe we can…I don't know, maybe we can just be friends," she started and trailed off, then stared at his brown eyes, "until we make our decision. If we decide in the end that we don't want to be wed, then we won't. But for the sake of everyone, let's try to get along."

Taichi stared back intensely, wondering why she didn't want to get married to him. Was she in love with someone else as well? Or was she only one that understood him?

"What's your reason?" he asked softly and stared at the floor. Sora smiled and understood his question.

"I don't mind getting married to you, Taichi. I just don't want you to be miserable for the rest of your life. That wouldn't be good for either of us. I'm okay with it because I know it's my duty. My kingdom needs your kingdom's wealth. The residents of my land are starving…it's hard to watch so many people suffer. To tell the truth, I'm surprised that your father chose our kingdom, but I realized it was because we had a great army and that _we_ weren't poor, but our kingdom was," she stated, looking at Taichi with her intense eyes. In so many ways, she reminded him of Kari, but yet, she was still different, amazingly different. She was willing to marry someone she barely knew for her kingdom. Why couldn't Taichi give up his selfish needs for the kingdom?

'Because you're in love, and Sora isn't. She doesn't know how it feels to be torn between what you want and your responsibility,' a voice in his head reminded him. All this thinking gave Taichi a headache.

"You're stronger than you look, you know that?" Taichi said to her with a weary smile. Sora grinned.

"And you're more confusing than you look," she stated, tucking some of her auburn hair behind her ear. Taichi gave her a puzzled look.

"What are you talking about?"

Sora smiled and got up slowly.

"I can't quite read you like I can read other people, Taichi. My mother always tells me that I have a gift for interpreting people by talking with them, and looking at them. I have a keen eye, but you're pretty difficult. I can't quite figure you out, yet," she stated. It was Taichi's turn to grin.

"Well, keep trying. I'm not going to make it easy for you to read me like a book," he stated and actually gave her a genuine smile. Sora laughed.

"Well, I better go. Good night, Taichi," she said as she walked and pulled the handle to his door.

"It's Tai," he said before she left, conjuring up an annoyed look, but failing. Sora smirked.

"Taichi." And with that, she closed the door, leaving Taichi to feel less guilty about a few things. He was glad that Sora was giving him the choice to call off the marriage. He could have said that he would never change his mind about marrying her because his mind was set. The truth of the matter was that he was confused. After hearing Sora's reason for agreeing to marry him, he wanted to be responsible for his kingdom as well.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Heres chapter 4, hope you enjoy. And to answer a question, I use Kari, basically because I don't like Hikari. It reminds me of that nursery rhyme hickery dickery dock, I don't know why, but yes. It's a dumb reason, but i couldn't take Hikari seriously, so it's Kari. REVIEW!

**Disclaimer: I don't own digimon

* * *

**

Takeru Ishida had arrived back to his home just in time. He knew his father was getting aggravated because he hadn't come back with news fast enough. It wasn't his fault, though. He had lost Iori, his best friend and partner in crime, while they were leaving the Yagami castle and heading through the Yagami market place.

His father had been strict with his orders. Figure out what King Yagami's next plan of action was, now that the war had hit a brick wall. Of course, Takeru didn't want to cheat in this war, and he didn't want to commit a crime and risk his life, but his father could care less about him or the rules.

Takeru sighed and collapsed on his bed, which was located in the servant quarters of the Ishida castle. His bed was placed right next to Iori's. Takeru thought about the girl he had bumped into at the market place. It took him the long journey back to the castle on his horse to remember that she was Princess Kari Yagami. He couldn't believe that he didn't notice before, and hopefully she didn't know that it was him.

Takeru sighed to himself again. Kari wouldn't remember him, the last time they ever saw each other was when they were four years old. Taichi and Yamato were still friends after that, but Kari and Takeru wouldn't like to have fun with each other because they wanted to play with their own gender at the time. The only reason he knew that the girl he bumped into was Kari was because he had been spying in the Yagami castle.

He did, like he always does, find out the Yagami's next course of action like his father wants him to. It surprises him that he would do anything to be loved by his father like Yamato, and not the forgotten son.

He and Iori had been able to infiltrate the Yagami council meeting and found out about the marriage alliance between Taichi Yagami and Sora Takenouchi. What puzzled him was Taichi's decline to the proposal, but he knew that the Yagami family would get Taichi to marry her for the troops and support they needed.

A knock on the servant door made Takeru jump out of his thoughts. Takeru called for the person to come in and Iori entered.

"You don't have to knock, you know. You sleep in here, too," Takeru stated with a wide grin. Iori smiled, his light brown hair shining softly.

"I know, I just didn't want to bother you," he stated softly as he walked up to Takeru. Takeru laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"You're too shy, Iori, for a partner in crime," he stated jokingly, but Iori didn't laugh. Takeru's smile faded and he apologized. He knew that Iori wasn't happy about breaking into the Yagami castle numerous amounts of times, and he didn't have to, but as a good friend, he stood by Takeru.

"It's alright. You're father is calling for you," Iori stated, looking up at Takeru as he got up. Iori was much shorter than Takeru, and a few years younger.

"I guess I must go see His Highness, now," Takeru said softly, full of sadness. Iori nodded, and followed Takeru out of the room.

As the two boys entered the Main Room of the castle, Takeru's stomach began to act up on him. Meeting his father always made him nervous. Last time, when he didn't get enough information and the Ishida army practically lost in battle, Takeru's back got the worst whipping in the history of whippings. Iori knocked loudly on the door.

"Enter," a deep voice proclaimed. Takeru twisted his face and waited for Iori to open the doors and entered the dark room. Ever since Takeru's mother died, the castle has been nothing but dreary and dark, along with its king.

"Did you get the information, boy?" King Ishida asked. His dull brown hair accented the dark circles under his eyes. Next to him sat Yamato Ishida, who was eyeing Takeru carefully with his darker blue eyes. Takeru gulped down a lump in his throat and tried to fix his blue and white servant clothes.

"Um…I have gotten news on what the Yagami kingdom plans to do next," Takeru replied softly. He paused to gather his thoughts.

"Well…on with it, boy!" the king screamed at Takeru. Iori frowned at his friend. Takeru looked at the floor. He was tired of giving away stolen information. Was it worth it for the love and affection he yearned for from his father?

"King Yagami has arranged a marriage with the princess from the Takenouchi Kingdom…" Takeru stated blankly. He started at his worn out boots, not making eye contact to anyone.

"That's it? That's all the information you bring me?!" The king yelled. Takeru winced and looked up at his father. Yamato gave him a look of sympathy and then bit his lip.

"That was basically all they talked about at their council meeting, sire. Takeru and I couldn't get anymore information," Iori cut in, sticking up for Takeru.

"That Yagami bastard is trying to end this once and for all, it seems. The Takenouchi throne is powerful, but then again, their kingdom is very poor," the king chuckled to himself, "when is the marriage to take place?"

"We aren't sure…they never mentioned a date…" Takeru said quietly, clenching his jaw. The king got aggravated and banged his fist onto the arm of the throne. Yamato cringed.

"You are useless, boy! Get out!" Takeru squeezed his eyes shut and turned around, stomping his way out of the room. The king rubbed his temples and Yamato slowly got off his throne and walked towards the door. As Takeru left the room, he paced to the servant chambers with Iori trying to keep up.

"Takeru, slow down," Iori commanded. Takeru stopped and turned around, anger filling his light blue eyes.

"I can never do anything right for him! I try so hard, and no matter what I do, he always-" Takeru started but was interrupted when he saw Yamato walking towards him, his gold crown shining in the light. Some of his blond hair covered his eyes, but it was obvious that his dark blue eyes showed sympathy for his younger brother.

"Iori, can I talk to Takeru alone for a second?" his deep voice asked. Iori nodded and continued to walk towards the servant chambers. Takeru looked at the ground and Yamato eyed him with a raised eyebrow.

"Takeru…he was just grumpy…he didn't get enough sleep last night," Yamato stated. Takeru looked up, the anger still in his eyes.

"Why do you always stick up for him?" Takeru asked furiously, "you know what I'm doing for him is dangerous…but he could care less if I didn't come back alive."

"I'm sorry, Takeru," Yamato apologized. Takeru's anger vanished.

"It's not you fault. He's always favored you…I'm just the son that wasn't powerful enough. Even when mom was alive, he favored you…I'm just the neglected one," Takeru stated as he slid down the wall of the hall, and brought his knees to his chest. Yamato sat down next to him, and put a comforting arm around him.

"He's never been the same since mother died, you know that. He's just so positive that King Yagami had something to do with her death. After this war is over, and we've won, then maybe things will go back to normal," Yamato suggested. Takeru shook his head.

"But the Yagami Kingdom had nothing to do with the death of mother! Bandits killed her! Why can't he accept that?" Takeru asked, dread filling up his body. Yamato stared out into the hallway.

"Because the dagger that was stabbed into mother's chest had the Yagami crest on it…" Yamato trailed, his eyes becoming masked with several emotions. His blue and white (the Ishida colors) clothes were shining in the poorly lit hallway. Takeru bit the insides of his mouth.

"Bandits steal, you know…" he stated. Yamato smiled.

"You can explain that to father," he said, but wanted to take it back when Takeru got upset. Yamato sighed.

"I know that King Yagami wouldn't kill mother. We all were good friends before this nonsense," Yamato stated. Takeru nodded, he knew that Yamato felt horrible about losing his friendship with Taichi. Taichi and Yamato were inseparable, but after Queen Ishida was murdered while she was taking a walk through the kingdom, their father wanted to take down the Yagami kingdom, so he started to move into their land, further than their treaty allowed them to, and the whole war started.

That's why Takeru's father didn't care if this war was played by the rules or not. He wanted to win no matter what, for revenge.

"You know that Taichi refused to marry Princess Takenouchi?" Takeru asked, trying to lighten the mood a little. Yamato looked at him and quirked a blond eyebrow.

"Really, why not?" Yamato asked, interested.

"I don't know. He just stomped out of the council room. He's stubborn as it is, so add marrying a random woman into the picture and you've got Taichi overreacting," Takeru stated with a grin. Yamato chuckled.

"Well, I hope that he gets his way because that means our chances of winning this war have climbed," Yamato stated as he started to get up. Takeru followed his actions, and started walking to the servant's chambers. Yamato put a hand on Takeru's shoulder before they went their separate ways.

"Do you and Iori want to sleep in my chambers today? You guys probably haven't had a good nights rest for a while, and those beds in the servant chambers are pretty uncomfortable," Yamato offered. Takeru smiled at his brother.

"That's alright, Iori and I can manage. Thanks anyway, Yamato," he said and turned to walk towards the servant chambers for a quick rest. Yamato smiled and turned to check on his father, hopefully he had calmed down now. The sooner this war was over, the better.

* * *

Taichi woke up when the horns started to make their awful noise in the morning, telling everyone to wake the hell up. He grumbled and rolled over in his bed, but instead, fell onto the hard floor with a thud. He bit his lip to keep in his pain, and pulled himself back onto the bed. When there was a knock on the door, he groaned and called for the person to come in. He was getting a lot of visitors lately.

Koushiro poked his head in and smiled brightly at Taichi. Taichi looked at him, clearly annoyed.

"What is it, Koushiro?" Taichi asked as he fell back on his bed and tried to fall back asleep.

"Nothing, I was just wanted to greet my best friend in the morning, but lately he's been in constant bad moods, so I'm just going to leave," Koushiro said as he started to leave. Taichi sighed.

"Koushiro, wait! I'm sorry, but you just always catch me at a bad time. I had a bad awakening this morning. Remind me to smash all those horns so people can actually get some sleep," he stated as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. His white night clothes looked vibrant in the morning sun. Koushiro laughed and entered Taichi's room. He was already dressed to do his chores in his navy blue and gold servant clothes.

"So, are things with your father alright?" Koushiro asked with concern. Taichi frowned.

"I don't know. I really don't want to think about how he feels about me right now. It's too early to worry about such things," Taichi said with a slight frown. Koushiro nodded and changed the topic to one he preferred. Koushiro grinned.

"So, how was Princess Sora?" he asked earnestly to hear Taichi's opinion. Taichi raised an eyebrow and stared at Koushiro.

"She's alright," Taichi stated. Koushiro's face twisted.

"That's it? Didn't you find her charming, or sweet, or beautiful?" Koushiro queried. Taichi raised both his eyebrows.

"She was alright."

Koushiro rolled his eyes and Taichi smirked, "Why, does Koushiro have feelings for Princess Sora?" Koushiro blushed and turned his head away.

"No, I was just wondering about your opinion. Anyway, I best be on my way, now. I have many chores that need to be done," Koushiro said as he got up and walked towards the door. Taichi laughed.

"Okay, Koushiro, whatever you say." Koushiro made a face and left the room. Taichi smirked and fell back on his bed. Princess Sora was something for sure. Taichi thought about their conversation last night. He was glad that she was giving him time to think about the wedding, and then both of them can make their decision. Taichi bit his lip thinking of her. She was very different.

* * *

Mimi watered the plants in the garden, which was located in front of the castle, with anger- if there was such a way to water plants. She was still furious about last night, and how Taichi and Sora left the dinning area. She made a face and let out a grunt of aggravation.

"Mimi, are you alright?" Mimi turned around at the sound of Kari's voice. She was dressed nicely in a light blue dress. Mimi stuttered dumbly for a few seconds and then spoke.

"Yes…I was just getting mad at…the flowers for…not cooperating," she said stupidly. Mimi bit her lip and stared at the sky as Kari's eyebrows furrowed, "So, it looks like we're going to have nice weather." Kari smiled.

"Yes it does. Mimi, you won't believe what happened last night," Kari said giddily. Mimi smiled and dropped her watering can.

"What happened?"

"Well, Tai left the dining table yesterday during dinner, and a few seconds later, Sora left, too, to see if Taichi was okay, or something," Kari said happily. Mimi put on a fake smile, but that didn't stop her eye from twitching at this information. 'Well, at least they didn't leave together.' She thought.

"W-why did Taichi leave the dinner table?" Mimi asked curiously. Kari shrugged.

"I don't know, but he looked kind of angry and shaken, but Tai has many mood swings so I have no idea why he left, truthfully," Kari said while sitting on a stone bench near the flowers. Mimi's nose scrunched. Sora had no right to comfort her Taichi.

"Do you know what happened after that?" Mimi questioned again. Kari laughed.

"Well someone wants to keep up with their gossip," Kari stated. Mimi made a face and smiled, "Well, I'm not sure about that. Sora never came back to the dinner table and neither did Taichi, but when I went to my room, I checked on Sora in her room, and she was reading a book. I asked her how Taichi was, and she smiled and told me that he was fine, they just talked a little bit about the marriage," Kari finished. Mimi bit her lip.

"So nothing happened?" Mimi asked. She was getting a little shaken up herself. Kari smiled.

"Nothing that _I _know of," she said mischievously. Mimi laughed, but when she turned around, she made a soft whimpering sound.

"But anyway, Sora has never had a lady-in-waiting, like me, so I was wondering if maybe you might want the job while she's here," Kari stated, "I mean… Sora is a guest so my mother wanted me to find someone to stay with her for a while, and help her out." Mimi's eyebrows rose.

"Why not Miyako?" Mimi asked sweetly, not trying to sound rude, "She would probably be better at the job than I would." Kari smiled.

"I thought that it would be better if she had someone more near her age," Kari said, "so do you mind?"

'Yes' Mimi thought, but she couldn't say no to the job.

"…Sure," Mimi said hesitantly. Kari smiled and gave Mimi a quick hug.

"Well come on, you have to meet her, now," Kari said as she took Mimi's arm and dragged her into the castle. Mimi sighed and let Kari lead her to Sora's room.

After Kari knocked on her door, a soft voice gave permission for the two girls to enter the room. Mimi held in a glare when she saw Sora fully dressed in a beautiful green dress that wasn't too fancy. Sora stood in front of her mirror fixing her tiara, and smiled through the mirror at Mimi and Kari. She turned around and all Mimi could feel was the warmth and goodness she was giving off. It made her want to gag.

"Good morning, Kari," Sora said, and motioned the two girls to come join her farther into the chambers. Kari smiled and pulled Mimi towards Sora.

"Good morning," Kari chirped, "Sora, this is Mimi. Mimi agreed to help you around while you stay here, and will be here if you ever need anything." Mimi tried her best to conjure up her best smile. Sora beamed.

"Oh, thank you. I'm in your debt, honestly. I really can't find my way around this castle. It's massive," Mimi gave a soft, fake, giggle.

"It's quite alright. I'd do anything for _Kari_," Mimi said sweetly. Kari gave her look, and Sora smiled.

"You're very lucky to have such a great friend, Kari," Sora said while she moved some of her amber bangs out of her eyes. Kari smiled, and nudged at Mimi, giving her a 'what was that?' look. Mimi just shrugged.

"Well…I'll leave you two to get acquainted," Kari said as she left the chambers and closed the door behind her. Mimi stood there uncomfortably, but Sora was the first to break the silence.

"So, do you still have chores that need to be done? I don't want to ruin your schedule," Sora said, as she walked around the bedroom portion of her chambers, arranging her belongings. Mimi hated how perfect she was. She was organized, beautiful, intelligent, and well-mannered. Mimi made a secret, disgusted face when she wasn't looking.

"Yes, actually. I have a lot of work that needs to be done, today. I'm sorry, maybe a little later I can show you around," Mimi said as sweetly as she could. She just wanted to get away from her. Sora smiled and shook her head.

"It's alright, don't worry about me, I'll find my way around," she said kindly. Mimi loathed her. Mimi nodded her head and left that room as quickly as she could. Once she got out and closed he door, Mimi sighed, fixed her hair and calmed herself down.

"So she was that bad?" Mimi turned her head and saw Taichi walking towards her, a grin plastered onto his face. Her heart leapt, and she giggled.

"Yes, she was," Mimi said and pouted her lip. Taichi chuckled and took Mimi's hand and pulled her towards him.

"You didn't come visit me last night," he said softly into her ear. She pulled him closer, her body wanting him, but that changed when she remembered what Kari had talked about.

"Well, you were with Princess Takenouchi last night so there was no way I was going to come visit you," Mimi stated as she pulled herself away a little bit. Taichi sighed.

"Nothing happened, Mimi. We just talked, and she said that if I really don't want to get married, then we can call it off, but only if we both think its wrong for us to be wed. I guess she noticed at dinner that I really didn't want to get married to her," Taichi said as he pulled Mimi closer to him again. She smiled.

"Okay so maybe she's not as bad as we thought she would be," Mimi said half-heartedly. Taichi smiled and nodded. Finally, Mimi took his face and brought it to hers, placing a passionate kiss on his lips. It took Mimi a while to remember that they were kissing in front of Sora's chambers.

As if on cue, the doorknob started to turn and Mimi pulled away from Taichi and pushed him away. He gave her a confused look, but when Sora walked out of her chambers, Taichi bit his lip. Sora closed the door and then saw Taichi and Mimi in the hallway. She looked at them curiously for a few seconds until Taichi started to talk.

"Good morning…did you sleep well?" he asked and smiling as genuinely as he could. Sora gave him a slight smile.

"Yes, thank you," Sora said politely, but her eyes were still searching for answers. Mimi stood as still as a rock, barely breathing. She was so bad at acting.

"Sora, this is Mimi. I just wanted to tell her that Kari was looking for her…" Taichi said quickly, but he was very convincing. Mimi noticed that he was getting better at lying. Sora lifted her head a little and smiled.

"Yes, we've already met," she said with her melodic voice. Mimi smiled at her, trying to just get out of here. It was too claustrophobic for her right now because she was never well under pressure.

"W-well I better b-be on my way now…goodbye your highnesses," Mimi said with a slight squeak ad she walked down the hall. Taichi looked at his feet and Sora was staring at him oddly. He looked up and got a little annoyed.

"What is it?" he asked rudely. He was obviously not good under pressure either.

"Nothing, nothing at all," she said softly, looking at him straight in the eye, and then walking away, her short red hair flowing behind her. Taichi got goose bumps. Not because he and Mimi almost got caught, not because of their stupidity for kissing in front of Sora's chambers, but because of the intensity of Sora's gaze. He was perplexed. How did she make him feel so small?

* * *

Sora walked around the castle, asking people if they could point her to the library. Her parents and Taichi's parents went on a walk through the garden to talk about the war and the marriage. Sora didn't know why, but she had a feeling that the marriage was never going to happen, so maybe it would just be easier to call everything off. The signs were all in Taichi's attitude towards her and the wedding, but after seeing the charade Taichi and Mimi put on, Sora got a little suspicious. But she didn't act on it because maybe she was just imagining things.

Sora sighed. She was definitely lost. In the corner of her eye, she saw a maid and a servant talking and washing the floor. She noticed that the servant was the same one that she had showed her around the castle yesterday before dinner. The maid, Sora didn't recognize. She walked up to them slowly.

"Excuse me, can one of you point me to the library?" she asked softly with a humiliated smile plastered to her face. They both looked up at her, and the boy was the first to smile and stand up.

"I can show you to it," he said. Sora smiled sweetly at the boy and he blushed. The girl got up and smiled at Sora.

"Hello, your highness, my name is Miyako, and this is Koushiro," Miyako said kindly. Sora smiled and greeted them both.

"Yes, oh and thank you, Koushiro, for showing me around yesterday," Sora said to the red headed boy. Koushiro blushed deeper and Miyako rolled her eyes.

"We both can show you to the library because I'm afraid if Koushiro does, he might forget to take you to the library and take you to a totally different place," Miyako said with a grin. Koushiro shot her a dirty look, and Sora laughed and thanked them both.

As the three of them got to the library, chatting happily along the way, Miyako, who was in front the other two, stopped dead in her tracks. Koushiro bumped into Miyako and Sora into Koushiro.

"What's wrong?" Koushiro asked her. Miyako blushed and turned around.

"Nothing, I just-I need to walk in this direction," Miyako babbled. Koushiro looked at her, confused, as well as Sora. Sora turned and looked in the direction they were walking and saw the blue-haired guard that she met yesterday. He was sitting near the entrance of the library, reading a book. Koushiro also spotted the guard and started to walk up to him.

A smile crept up onto Sora's face. She turned around and stopped Miyako from walking any further. Miyako's face was beet red.

"So, do you have feelings for him?" Sora asked, motioning to the guard. Miyako blushed.

"No, I don't, your highness, I just know- I don't- I…"Miyako blushed again. She didn't know what to say. Sora chuckled and put a hand on Miyako's shoulder.

"Look, I'm no one to talk, but if you're fond of him, just go up and talk to him," Sora said with a smile, "What's the worst that can happen?" Miyako bit her lip and looked at the ground.

"I could make a fool of myself," she stated. Sora tilted her head and looked at the guard.

"What's his name?"

"Sir Ken…"Miyako answered with a blush. Sora bit her lip and smiled when she thought of something.

"Come on," Sora said as she took Miyako's arm and brought her towards Ken.

"Your highness, I don't think this is a good idea," Miyako said with slight alarm. Sora didn't stop walking and once she approached Koushiro and Ken she smiled at them both. Ken smiled at the both of them. Miyako looked away.

"Good Morning, Princess. Good Morning, Miyako," he said with his soft voice. Miyako started walking away, but Sora held onto her hand.

"Good Morning, Sir. I actually have a problem. I was wondering if you and Miyako could go to the market today and get me a pair of gloves for this evening. I seem to have forgotten mine at home," Sora asked sweetly. Miyako gawked. She couldn't go all by herself with Ken.

"No problem, your highness," Ken replied as he got up and gave the book to Koushiro, who sat down and continued to read it. Ken held out his hand to Miyako, and she blushed again. Miyako looked at Sora, and Sora motioned for her to go. Miyako gulped and took his hand. Both of them walked away, and Sora chuckled in triumph. Koushiro looked up from his book.

"So, why did you want to come to the library, your highness?" Koushiro asked softly, a blush crept up to his cheeks.

"Call me Sora," she said to him and sat down beside him. He blushed again and she laughed, "I just wanted to see it, maybe find something to occupy my time with." Koushiro nodded, and he grinned at her. They heard someone approaching, and they both looked up. Taichi walked up to them and he ignored the fact that Sora was there.

"Koushiro, I've been looking all over the castle for you," Taichi stated with annoyance. Koushiro raised an eyebrow and got up from his sitting position.

"What is it, Tai?" Koushiro asked as he dusted himself off. Taichi glared at the boy.

"I forgot…I remembered that I needed to tell you something, and then I got too occupied with finding you to tell you that 'something', and you were no where to be found," Taichi grumbled through his teeth. Sora smirked from her seated position on the floor, leaning on the wall. Taichi saw that and glared at her.

"I'm sorry, the princess-I mean Sora, wanted to know where the library was so I was just showing her," Koushiro explained. Taichi raised an eyebrow and then gave an incredulous look to Sora.

"Why would you want to go the library?" Taichi asked. Sora rolled her eyes.

"Because, Taichi, a library is a place to enhance your knowledge and expand your mind. Of course, I know that it's hard for you to do that," Sora said as she got up and walked towards them. Taichi scoffed and gave her another glare. He pushed Koushiro out of the way, and walked up to her.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Taichi asked, crossing his hands at his chest.

"Because you only want to live in your own little world, Taichi," Sora said, hinting that she knew something about him and his secret. Taichi was too annoyed to get that hint.

"It's _Tai_," he corrected. Sora smirked and leaned forward.

"Tai_chi_," she said mockingly. Koushiro chuckled and Taichi threw him a look and turned back to Sora.

"You know, if you keep getting on my nerves, then I don't think we can even be friends," he explained, turning his head away and tapping his foot. Sora snickered.

"Things just get on you nerves easily, Taichi," she said with a smirk. Taichi gave her another glare, and Sora gave one back, but soon smiled at him. He looked at her confused.

"The more I see how stubborn you are, the easier it is for me to figure you out," Sora explained, "I thought you weren't going to make it easy for me to read you." It was Taichi's turn to smirk.

"I'm not a book, princess. No matter how much you tell me that you've figured me out, you'll be surprised how much you don't know," he said. Sora raised her eyebrows and stared at him with her intense gaze again. Taichi stared back, and bit his lip. He could feel his stomach churning. She was so beautiful, it was unearthly. He wanted to lean in to her, and feel her lips over his. Taichi shook his head. What was he thinking? He was with Mimi…and he loved _Mimi_.

Sora felt something odd as well. She broke their stare and bit her lip.

"Well, I'll see you soon, Koushiro," Sora said while putting some of her hair behind her ear. She entered the library, her green dress dragging behind her. Taichi watched her every movement. What was wrong with him?

"What was that?" Koushiro asked Taichi. Taichi looked at Koushiro and then at the floor.

"I don't know…"

* * *

"Do you think she suspects something?" Mimi asked Taichi as she sat cross-legged on his bed. Taichi was laying down on the bed, his arms behind his head, lost in his own thoughts.

"I don't know, Mimi. I forgot to ask Koushiro where Miyako was to see if maybe she could find something out, but I don't think Sora's sure of anything yet." Mimi sighed and rested her head on her chest.

"In the course of two days, we've basically lost our secrecy. I feel like everyone knows that we're together," she stated, playing with a button on his blue shirt. Taichi smiled and put his arm around her. All the feelings he was confused about with Sora were suddenly gone. All that mattered now was that he and Mimi were together right now. She smiled and placed a passionate kiss on his lips, and ran her fingers through his soft, brown hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her under him. Taichi paused for a second.

"No matter what happens, Mimi, I always want you here, with me," he said softly into her ear. Mimi looked at him, her honey eyes sparkling.

"I will be, Tai. I promise," she said and brought him down again for another kiss.

As it was getting deeper, somebody knocked on Taichi's door. His eyes widened and he broke away.

"Coming!" he screamed at the door. Mimi started to whisper things in panic. Taichi put a finger to her mouth and told her to go under the bed. Mimi obeyed immediately and slid under his bed. Taichi stumbled to the door and opened it.

Kari looked at him curiously. She noticed that Taichi's clothes were unruly and his cheeks were a little pink.

"What happened to you?" she asked while folding her arms at her chest. Taichi looked at her and didn't allow her in the room.

"I was just…practicing my sword fighting," Taichi explained. Kari looked at him and then dismissed it.

"Lunch is ready, I just came to tell you that," Kari said and she started to walk away. Taichi bit her lip. He needed to talk to her and work things out.

"Kari, I don't mean to hurt you, or disappoint you," Taichi stated, coming out of his bedroom and closing the door so they were in the hallway alone. Kari looked at him with empathy, and smiled.

"I know, Tai. It's just that you got to learn how to make the right decisions. Sora's an amazing person. She's unlike anyone that I've ever met. If you gave her a chance, maybe you might like her too. Then maybe we can get this marriage to work," Kari explained.

"I know, Kari. She is unlike anyone I've ever met as well, but I just…I don't want marriage…" Taichi said, actually feeling the truth in his words. Kari bit her lip.

"Well, learn to want it. People are dying out there, Taichi. We can't wait around for you to figure out your feelings. I love you, don't forget that. I just love my kingdom, as well," Kari said looking at the floor. She walked towards Taichi and gave him a warm embrace, and Taichi returned it.

"Well, go tidy up. I don't think you want to come eat lunch dressed like that," Kari commanded. Taichi grinned.

"Alright, I'll see you in a few minutes," and with that, Taichi went back into his room and locked up the door. Mimi poked her head out from under the bed.

"God, this whole secret thing isn't working out anymore," she explained, still under the bed. Taichi laughed and kneeled down in front of her head.

"Well, lunch is ready so I'll see in a while," he said with a smile. Mimi laughed.

"Okay, bye. I'll see you when I'm serving bread," she said, positioning her face for a kiss. Taichi chuckled and bent down and kissed her lips perfectly.

* * *

Sora sighed. She could feel how awkward it was sitting beside Taichi. After this morning, and the library incident, she kept feeling a little awkward around him, and she knew he felt a little uncomfortable as well. Sora tried to stop shaking her foot, but when she felt discomfited, her foot went off on its own.

She knew that Taichi wasn't interested in her in a 'love' type of way, but the feeling she got while looking into his eyes was so intense. She never felt this way towards anyone, not even towards Jyou, and it was scaring her.

Soon, people started coming out of the kitchen door and started to put food on the table. Sora played with the napkin on her lap, but was immediately brought out of her thoughts.

"So, Sora, how do you like the castle? Is everything comfortable?" King Yagami asked her, his eyes shining proudly towards Sora. She smiled kindly at him and nodded her head.

"Everything's perfect, King Yagami. I'm enjoying my stay here," Sora stated. King Yagami grinned at her.

"What about Tai? Is he being a nuisance?" he asked with a slight smile. Sora could feel Taichi looking at the table with misery. Sora could definitely feel a sudden discomfort between Taichi and his father. Sora bit her lip and smiled.

"No, sire. He's making my stay here even more enjoyable," she said with a slender smile. It wasn't a lie. She did find Taichi fun to be around. Annoying him was becoming a good hobby of Sora's. She felt like they really connect when they 'fought'. She could feel Taichi's eyes rested on her, and the King grinned even wider.

"That makes me feel proud," King Yagami said. After a while, the two kings started to converse, while the two queens talked happily with Kari. Sora ate every few minutes. She could feel Taichi's eyes on her every few seconds, only glancing at her. When she felt his eyes glance at her, again, she looked at him. The awkward stare was there again. She tried to look away, but she couldn't, and Taichi was the first one to break the stare to look at something else, or rather _someone _else.

Sora followed Taichi's gaze, but not obviously, and he was staring at Mimi, who had entered with a basket of bread. Sora looked away from her and then from the corner of her eye, she could see a smile sneak onto Taichi's lips. Sora took a minute to process the information and smiled with what she was left with. She was pretty sure that there was something going on between the two of them now. It explained everything, starting with Taichi's behavior towards the marriage, and the charade in front of her chambers this morning.

"So, Sora, what do you think of Tai?" Kari asked softly, looking straight at Sora. Sora snapped out of her thoughts and stared at Kari, who was sitting next to her.

"Um- he's something…" Sora said, looking at her food. Kari raised an eyebrow.

"Do you like him?" she asked. Sora blushed a little bit and stared at Kari.

"As a friend, yes," Sora answered. She played with her napkin again. She didn't know how she felt about Taichi. Kari nodded and started to eat her lunch again. Sora sighed, she wasn't very hungry anymore. She wiped her mouth with her napkin.

"I'm finished with my lunch, King Yagami. Is it alright if could be excused for the rest of lunch?" she asked with a smile. The King smiled and let her leave. Sora got up and walked out. She felt Taichi's eyes on her the whole time.

* * *

Sora spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the library, catching up on some of her reading. She didn't know why Kari's question scared her so much, but it did. Maybe it was because she was scared of getting hurt again. Sora shut her eyes and rubbed her temples. She couldn't get hurt again.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sora bit her lip. The one person she didn't want to see right now is the first one to find her. Taichi took a seat next to her on the big ledge which was on the big window located at the back of the library.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired," Sora lied. She bit the insides of her mouth and looked out of the window.

"Am I really making your stay here more enjoyable?" he asked with a lopsided grin. Sora couldn't help but to smile. He did look awfully cute when he did that.

"Yes, in a way, you are," Sora said truthfully. Taichi smiled and looked out the window as well.

"So you weren't lying?" Taichi asked, his eyes filled with a sudden sadness. Sora looked at him and put a hand on his shoulder, which was a mistake. It made her feel awkward again, as well as Taichi. She took her hand away and looked down at her book.

"Why would I lie, Tai?" Sora replied. Taichi smiled.

"Did you actually call me 'Tai' or was I hearing things?" He asked playfully. Sora's smile widened, but then she went back on topic.

"So, what's happening between you and your father?" she asked, looking at him directly. The way the setting sun hit him made him look so handsome. Sora never noticed how good-looking he was.

"I just disappoint him a lot. We always disagree on everything, like this marriage," Taichi started, but bit his tongue to stop himself from saying anything that might make her feel bad. He looked at Sora, and saw how she was listening intently, so he continued, "When he asked you if I was nuisance, I couldn't help but feel awful. Everything I do makes him angry." Sora looked at him with pity.

"You're father loves you. You have no idea how much he does. You feel this way because he wants you to get married, but you don't want to. In the end, Taichi, it's your decision, and he's scared that going to make one that's going to cost him this war," Sora explained. Taichi bit his lip. It's seemed as if Sora's the only one that understood. How did she do it?

Sora took a deep breath, and went over to Taichi. She wrapped her arms around him, and Taichi sat there, still as a rock. His heart started to race, and when he wrapped his arms around her thin waist, everything felt different.

Sora bit her lip. His scent was captivating, and the way his arms were around her, she wanted him to go further. Sora knew that this was wrong and she broke away. Taichi did as well and they both were stuck in an awkward silence yet again. Sora was the first one to break it.

"I don't think you disappoint your father, I think you scare him, that's all. Just go talk to him about it, it will clear things up," Sora stated. Taichi sighed.

"I don't think I can, yet, but I will soon," Taichi said, smiling at her, "Thanks, Sora. You're turning out to be a pretty good friend." Sora smiled at him.

"You're not that bad of a friend, either," she stated and then got up from the ledge, "I'll see you at dinner." Taichi smiled as she walked away. There was definitely something different about her. She was definitely amazing.

* * *

As Taichi walked out of the library and towards the staircase, he saw Mimi washing some of the windows. He smiled and went up to her.

"Having fun?" he asked, poking fun at her. Mimi looked up and wrinkled her nose.

"Not as much fun as it would be in your bed," she said mischievously, biting her bottom lip and bobbing her eyebrows. Taichi grinned, looked around to make sure no one was around, and then placed a kiss on her lips.

"That can be arranged," he said huskily, and leaned forward. His body wanted her, "I'll see you right after dinner." Mimi pursed her lips to contain herself, and with that Taichi walked towards the dinning area. Mimi's heart fluttered. She would be having some fun tonight.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the HUGE delay, my laptop actually got shipped out to be fixed. Anyway, chapter 6 might take a while to put up as well cause i didn't finish it so please bare with me and thanks for the reviews! I look foward to more! R&R

* * *

Chapter 6 –Drawn Together

Part of Takeru didn't want Yamato to come this time, but the other part of him did. His father sent him back to the Yagami castle to find out the date of the wedding and to find army plans. Takeru sighed. Maybe Yamato should have come, but then he would get in serious trouble. King Ishida wouldn't want anything to happen to Yamato. Of course, Takeru didn't have to go either, but there was not other way to prove himself to his father.

Takeru and Iori left this morning, even though they had just gotten back to their kingdom yesterday. 'It never ends,' Takeru thought. The sun was breaking and the weather was very humid and hot. Takeru sighed. There was still a long way till they reached the Yagami castle.

Iori caught his frustration.

"Don't worry, Takeru. We'll be there in no time," he explained. Takeru smiled sadly.

"I don't deserve a friend like you, Iori. You always stick by my side, as your choice," Takeru stated. Iori grinned.

"I know you'd do the same for me, Takeru," Iori stated, his head bobbing up and down while he rode his horse. Takeru laughed.

"You know I would."

* * *

Kari woke up from the heat. She groaned and got up from her bed, stretching out her legs and back. Looks like summer has arrived. She wiped the stray beads of sweat from her forehead and headed to her bath, which was prepared last night as it always was.

As she finished getting ready for the day, dressed in a light pink gown and silver tiara, the horns sounded for everyone to wake up and start the day. She smiled. For some reason, she had a good feeling about this day.

She slowly left her room and walked towards the Servants' Quarters to see if anyone was awake, usually Miyako was. She knocked on the door softly and Miyako opened it, fully dressed. Kari raised her eyebrows.

"You couldn't sleep, either?" Kari asked softly, trying not to wake anyone up. Miyako smiled.

"Nope, it was way too hot in here," she said, her voice sounding very happy. Kari watched as Miyako glided around the room, arranging things, and humming.

"Why, aren't we in such a good mood" Kari stated teasingly. Miyako grinned and led Kari out into the hallway. They both walked down the stairs and Miyako told her everything that had happened with Ken yesterday.

"I owe Princess Sora greatly. She's a genius! I learned almost everything about Ken, and he even said that he had so much fun with me yesterday, and that we should do this more often!" Miyako squealed. Kari laughed at her overexcitement.

"So you did have feelings for Ken," Kari stated. Miyako nodded.

"I don't care who knows it now, though! The whole world can know!" Miyako screamed. Kari shushed her and giggled. Miyako grinned.

As the two girls entered the kitchen, they noticed that Mimi was up as well, clothed and ready to go for the most part. Miyako smiled.

"Too hot for you, too?" she asked with a smirk. Mimi's golden brown hair was still in its braid. She smiled at the both of them.

"Yes, I want drown myself in cold water," Mimi whispered, caring for the people that were still asleep, "So, what were you yelling about, Miyako?" Miyako grinned at Mimi.

"Well, I spent the whole day with Ken yesterday, and we had a wonderful time. I give my thanks all to Princess Sora. It was her nifty idea that brought me to where I am today," Miyako stated for the second time today, and there were going to be many more, too. No doubt about that. Mimi smiled softly and looked at the table she was sitting at. Miyako remembered why 'Sora' subjects were a soft spot for her, so Miyako quickly mouthed a 'sorry'. Mimi smiled and waved it off.

Kari walked around the kitchen, looking for some milk. Mimi got up and helped her look. By the time they found some, the kitchen was filled with many servants and maids. Queen Takenouchi and Princess Sora walked into the kitchen together, chatting happily. Mimi tried to avoid her, but as soon as Sora entered, Miyako was at her feet, thanking her, and Kari just loved being in the presence of Sora. Mimi made a face.

"So I figure things went well?" Sora asked Miyako, who was still hugging her for everything. Queen Takenouchi left to wake up her husband.

"Yes! Thank you so much! If you need anything, your highness, please come to me first," Miyako said, her eyes gleaming with joy. Kari laughed. Sora, dressed in a beautiful, yet simple, maroon dress which accented her figure with wore a gold tiara on her head, laughed along with Kari.

"Well, you can start by calling me Sora," Sora said with a great smile. Mimi stuck out her tongue in disgust. How could Sora stand being beautiful in the morning? Miyako chuckled and thanked her once again. Sora moved throughout the kitchen talking with everyone, and soon, she came up to Mimi. Mimi watched her sit down across from her at the small table.

"Good Morning," Sora said sweetly. Mimi put on the best smile she could and returned the greeting. Sora studied her and then looked at the table.

"I was wondering, Mimi, if you could show me around the garden later today," Sora said, her eyes hopeful. Sora knew that Mimi disliked her by the signals she gave off yesterday. Sora also knew this to be true because she is Taichi's soon-to-be-wife, and this angered Mimi because she and Taichi were definitely in some kind of relationship. Of course, Sora had just figured this out, and neither Mimi nor Taichi knew that she knew.

Mimi looked at her and narrowed her eyes a little. Sora hadn't really done anything harmful to her relationship with Taichi, so maybe she was as amazing as everyone else thought. Mimi sighed, willing to give her a shot.

"Sure, I can show you after I finish my chores, in the afternoon," Mimi said with a slight smile. Sora beamed and got up to hug her. Mimi hugged her back awkwardly, but soon after, Sora left to talk with Kari. Mimi sighed and got up to clean up around the kitchen and get it prepared for the day.

A few minutes later, King Yagami came through the kitchen door.

"Has anyone seen Tai? He's not in his bedroom," The king hollered at the people in the kitchen. No one said anything so he sighed. Mimi bit the insides of her mouth. It was hot outside so there was only one place Taichi could be, and Mimi and Kari were the only ones who knew where that was. Mimi looked at Kari, but she stayed neutral, not moving. The king looked towards Sora.

"Have you seen Tai anywhere, Sora?" he asked. Sora lifted her eyebrows and shook her head.

"I haven't seen him since dinner last night," she stated. Mimi grinned. Mimi had seen him after dinner.

Kari did know where Taichi was, but a sudden idea hit her. If Taichi and Sora weren't falling for eachother then maybe she should give them a little push. What's the harm in that? This way the war can be over and done with quicker. Kari grinned, and when her father left, she walked over to Sora, who was talking with Koushiro.

"Sora, I think you and I should look for Tai," Kari suggested, taking Sora's arm and leading her into a less crowded place in the kitchen. Sora looked at Kari.

"I don't think he wants to be found, otherwise he would have come out by now," Sora said with a smirk. Kari smiled; she knew that Sora was right. 'They're perfect for each other!' Kari thought to herself. Kari put on her best 'concerned' look.

"But my father gets angry at him so much already. I don't want Tai to get into anymore trouble," Kari stated. Sora bit the corner of her lip and agreed. After the conversation she and Taichi had about his father yesterday, Sora couldn't say no to that.

"Alright, where do you want to look?" Sora asked- her ginger bangs covering her right eye a little.

"Well, why don't I look inside the castle, because I know my way around, and you look outside," Kari offered.

"Well, I don't know my way around outside, either," Sora said with a humiliated smile. Kari grinned.

"Well, then check in the back, near the lake, and then around the front of the castle a little bit," Kari said. Sora looked through the back door, the lake was already visible. She sighed and nodded at Kari.

"Good, thanks Sora," Kari said. Sora smiled and chuckled.

"Anytime you need me, Kari," and with that, Sora left through the back door, heading towards the lake. She sighed. She really didn't want to look for him right now. Why did he have to disappear and why did Kari have to make her feel so bad for him. She walked slowly down a steep hill that leads to the lake. She took off her shoes to make it easier for her to walk down. She let out a relieved sigh when she reached the bottom.

Sora looked around the lake to see if there was any sign of Taichi. Even though it was the morning, it was burning hot outside. Sora didn't see him anywhere, and was about to look near the front of the castle until she heard something in the water.

Taichi's head stuck out the lake, and Sora squinted to make sure that it was Taichi. When Taichi saw someone near the edge of the lake, he almost knew it was Sora by her fiery red hair. He wondered what she was doing outside. He swam towards Sora, and when the water was shallow enough that it went up to his thighs, he stopped swimming. He was about ten feet away from her.

"What are you doing out here?" He yelled so she could hear. Sora smirked.

"I could ask you the same question," Sora said loudly so Taichi could hear her. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, it was really hot inside the castle, so I came out here for a swim," he explained. Sora made a face.

"Why?" she asked, twisting her face in disgust.

"Because the water is nice and cool," Taichi clarified. Suddenly a thought hit him, and he smiled mischievously. He walked to the edge of the lake, standing right in front of her. Sora looked at him with her brows raised, studying his body under his wet night clothes.

"Well if you don't get out of there, you'll either catch a cold, or die from disease," Sora stated, her arms crossed over her chest. Taichi smirked.

"Well, you're highness, it's burning hot, and I don't care what you think," he said as he moved closer. Sora caught on to what he was going to do, and moved away.

"No, don't you dare, Taichi," she said, a sudden hint of fear flashed in her eyes. Taichi smirked.

"Who's Taichi?" he asked playfully. Sora glared at him.

"I'm sorry, I meant Tai," she said, walking further away. He smiled and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the water. She screamed as she fell into the cool water. Taichi laughed and dragged her a little farther into the lake, so that it was shallow enough for her to walk in.

Sora came up coughing, and then she started to flail around. When she grabbed a hold of Taichi, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself to him. Taichi blushed a little bit, he wasn't expecting that.

"You idiot! I told you not to! I don't like water!" Sora screamed, her body shivering against Taichi's. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist to help her feel a little safer.

"So… I guess you don't know how to swim?" Taichi asked with a gentle smile. He didn't get an answer from her, but he heard her sniffling, and she held on to him even more tightly.

"Don't let go," she ordered softly, her voice breaking. Taichi raised his eyebrows and moved her so she was looking into his face, but she was still clinging to him helplessly. He saw a few tears escape her beautiful ruby eyes and he bit his lip.

"Sora, don't cry. I'm sorry, I didn't know…" he said, but then brought her back into his arms, and held her, gently running his fingers through her hair.

"I'm not c-crying," she stuttered from the cold. He chuckled.

"Of course you're not," he said softly. He loosened his grip on her waist, but she wrapped her arms around him even more tightly, like it was still possible.

"No, don't let go," she declared again.

"I'm not going to," he said softly into her ear. Somehow, Taichi felt comfortable with her here, clinging helplessly to him as he held on to her to make sure she was safe. He smiled and let go of her waist. Sora's eyes widened and she screamed as she fell into the water, but when her head was still in the air, she looked up at Taichi, who staring down at her with those cheerful, chocolate eyes.

"We're in shallow water. Don't worry, you won't drown," he told her with a smile. She stood in the water, her arms now wrapped around Taichi's waist. She quivered, still not used to it yet.

"I really despise you right now," Sora stated as she moved closer to him, trying not to fall under the water. Taichi laughed and took a hold of her arms. She looked at him with shock as he tried to get her to let go of his waist.

"No, stop! I'm not letting go," she yelled at him.

"You'll never learn if you don't let go," he said with a slight chuckle. Some of his brown hair started to stick to his face. Sora enveloped her arms around his waist until there was no space between them, and placed the side of her head against his chest. She started shaking in fear and tears streamed down her face again.

"Please don't make me let go," she said softly. Taichi's smile disappeared and he looked at her apologetically. He didn't mean to scare her. He started to regret pulling her into the lake.

"You know what?" Taichi asked, moving some of her ginger hair out of her face, "I'm just starting to see the _real_ Sora. Not that boastful, overconfident Princess that came here two days ago. Now I see that she can also be weak, like the rest of us."

"I never meant to come off as boastful," she whispered. Taichi could barely hear her, "I never wanted to look weak in front of anyone, either." Taichi pursed his lips. She really was amazing.

"What secrets are you hiding from me, Sora Takenouchi," he asked rhetorically. He heard Sora sniff, and he quickly swept her up, bringing his arm under her knees, and using his other arm to support her. She was surprisingly light. Sora held on to Taichi for dear life, if he did let go, then at least she'd be able to take him down with her. Taichi noticed that her dress was ruined, and her crown was missing.

"Sora, your tiara is gone," he told her. Sora closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip.

"I don't care, just get me out of here," she ordered. Taichi smiled and started to walk towards the green grass. He felt Sora shivering rapidly, and suddenly felt guilty. If Sora got sick, then it would be his fault.

When Taichi reached the land, he placed Sora on the ground, and sat down next to her. She sat up, bringing her arms around her legs, trying to warm up. Her eyes fluttered and she rocked back and forth.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked her softly. He saw Sora nod between her knees. Her auburn hair was shining in the light, and her maroon dressed looked more like brown now. Nonetheless, she still looked beautiful. Taichi took his arm and brought it to her back, gently rubbing it to try to give her some warmth.

Taichi heard her sniffling, and got worried that she was crying again. She brought her head back up and wiped her eyes. Taichi's heart dropped. She was crying. Taichi took her arm and pulled her to him. He wrapped one arm around her waist. Sora wrapped her arms loosely around his waist and buried her face into his shoulder, wiping her tears with his night shirt.

"Please, don't cry. I hate making people cry," Taichi whispered. Sora pulled away and looked at the ground.

"It wasn't you, it was the lake," Sora said, looking into his worried eyes. Taichi smiled.

"How did you become so scared of water?" Sora bit her lip and sniffled once more.

"When I was younger, our castle used to be by the beach. I would play in the water all the time, but one time, when I was about nine, the tide dragged me in and I started drowning. All I remember was trying to keep my head above the water, and waves as they crashed into me. If my… friend, Jyou, didn't come and save me, I don't think I'd be here right now. My whole life flashed before my eyes in that one moment, and it was terribly traumatizing," Sora narrated. Taichi looked at her and smiled a bit.

"You were nine, you'd barely started to live your life," he stated. Sora glared at him.

"It was scary, that's the point." Taichi smiled and moved some stray hair away from her face.

"I didn't know, I'm sorry," he said again. Sora stared at him and then at the lake.

"I know you are, stop apologizing," she commanded. Taichi's smile disappeared and she raised an eyebrow.

"I just need you to forgive me," Taichi replied. Sora smiled at him for the first time all day, "when I saw you so helpless out there, and how scared you were, it scared me too. It was my entire fault." Sora took his hand in hers.

"I forgive you," she said to him. He smiled at her.

"Good, so why don't we get out of these wet clothes?" he offered. Sora smiled and started to get up.

"Gladly."

* * *

Miyako beamed as she twirled around the kitchen, her thoughts occupied with one man. Miyako giggled when she thought about her conversations with Ken. He was a man of depth for sure. She heard a giggle, and turned to see Mimi sitting at the same table she was sitting at ever since she had gotten down here. Miyako scowled and sat across from Mimi.

"It's not that funny. You know what it feels like to be in love. That's how I feel, right now, with Ken," Miyako explained as she folded her arms on the table, and rested her head on it. She sighed blissfully. Mimi smiled slightly.

"I understand, Miyako. I think you and Ken are adorable together," Mimi said softly. Miyako grinned and then studied Mimi. Her face was twisted in thought.

"Is everything with okay with Tai?" Miyako whispered, trying not to allow any kind of attention to them. Mimi looked down at the table.

"Everything's perfect, I mean, even with Princess Bride-to-be here, we manage to keep everything between us wonderful," Mimi said sadly. Miyako looked at her curiously.

"Then why are you so glum?" Miyako asked as she brought her head up. Mimi smiled and rubbed her honey eyes, trying to get the tiredness out of them.

"It's absurd actually, but Tai hasn't gotten back from his swim yet, and since its hot outside, that's the only place he could be," Mimi said quietly. Miyako furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why don't you go check on him," she suggested. Mimi shook her head.

"It's too risky. I've wanted to, but imagine if we were caught. I can't," Mimi stated as she bit her nail nervously. Miyako laughed.

"Calm down, I'm sure you're overreacting, Taichi's going to be-" Miyako was interrupted by the back door of the kitchen opening. Mimi and Miyako turned around to see Taichi, who dripping wet in his night clothes, walking in with a soaking wet Sora. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the two. Mimi turned back around, her back to the two. She bit her lip angrily.

Miyako noticed Sora's lost tiara and her evidently tear-stained cheeks and eyes. She looked worriedly at the two of them. A few servants ran out of the kitchen to fetch a few towels, and Sora wrapped her arms around herself, feeling insecure. Taichi stared at the floor. Miyako grabbed Mimi's hand and walked over to the two of them. Miyako started with Sora.

"Are you alright? What happened? Are you hurt, Princess?" Miyako probed, trying to know every detail. Mimi stared at Taichi with a glare and he looked back, biting his lip.

"I'm fine," Sora said softly as a servant entered the kitchen and wrapped a big blanket around her. Another servant came and did the same to Taichi. Mimi looked at him, her eyes still holding a glare; she tried to stay focused on the current situation rather than his wet clothes, clinging to his beautiful body.

"So what happened?" Mimi asked impatiently. Taichi gave her a hard look.

"Nothing, alright? It was just a misunderstanding," He stated glancing at Sora, then back at Mimi. Mimi tried to control her anger. She tightened her lips, bowed, and walked away from both of them.

Sora stared between the two and then she looked at Miyako. Miyako grinned sheepishly and then went after Mimi. Sora looked at Taichi who was staring at the floor, his eyes deep with emotion.

"Well, I'm going to go get changed," she said softly and then walked towards the stairs.

"Sora…" Taichi started. Sora turned and looked at him cautiously. He sighed and shook his head.

"Never mind, go get changed," he said with a small smile. Sora returned a smile slightly and walked up the stairs quietly. Taichi bit his lip. He knew he had to talk to Mimi, but he was tired of her not trusting him. He sighed. He decided to get changed, as well, and then go talk to Mimi. As he walked up the stairs, his father was walking down. His father stared at him questioningly.

"Where have you been, and what happened to you?" he asked with no emotion. Taichi looked at the floor and took a deep breath.

"I was taking a swim in the lake," he said strongly. Taichi always snuck into the castle after his swims, but since Sora was shivering to death, he decided that it was better for her to get into the castle quickly and blow his cover. His father raised and eyebrow and shook his head.

"Your swordplay lessons start soon, boy. Get your act together and go get ready," he ordered and he walked down the stairs. Taichi looked down at the floor and breathed deeply. He shut his eyes tightly and shook his head, trying to get the horrible feeling out of the pit of his stomach.

* * *

Kari heard Sora walk into her room, and was eager to know what happened. She quickly ran and knocked on her door. A maid opened the door, and told Kari that Sora was changing out of her wet clothes. Kari scrunched her brows in confusion. Sora walked out from behind her dressing curtain in a warm, chocolate colored dress that was very casual. Kari noticed that her hair was still damp, and she looked tired.

"What happened? Are you okay?!" Kari asked worriedly. Sora smiled when she saw Kari.

"Yes, I'm fine. I found your brother in the lake, then he pulled me in, and chaos ensued," Sora said in an odd tone. Kari walked up to her.

"Did he hurt you?" Kari asked. Sora looked away and bit the edge of her mouth. Kari's mouth dropped.

"What did he do to you?!" she nearly screamed. Sora smiled and shook her head.

"He didn't do anything," Sora said as she averted her gaze from Kari and busied herself with finding another tiara. Kari sighed and gave up.

"If Taichi ever does something to you, then come to me immediately," Kari told her softly, half jokingly and half seriously. Sora chuckled and nodded.

* * *

Iori and Takeru hid their horses behind some bushes just outside of the castle gate. They progressed forward slowly, trying their best not to become noticed by anyone. At the gate, two guards stood there, chatting away with each other. Takeru gave a motion for Iori to move slowly.

Takeru's plan was the same as all of the other plans. Distract the guards, walk around the castle to the back, enter through a servant wing window, and sneak as quickly as they could to the meeting room. There they would hopefully find battle plans it one of the hidden cabinets, which Takeru and Iori had located a while back, and if they don't they'll try to listen in on the Yagami war general. It was the same system every time they came.

Iori picked up a rock big enough to fit in his hand, and threw it to the side, where it hit some of the metal bars of the gate. One guard jumped and turned to his right, where he heard the rock. Takeru could hear them mumble a few things, and then the guard left to see what it was. Takeru motioned for Iori to proceed since he was farther away from the other guard still waiting at the gate.

Takeru let out a cleansing breath. Now all he had to do was get rid of this one guard, nothing he hadn't done before. Suddenly he saw two girls on the other side of the gate call and wave at the guard. Takeru raised a curious eyebrow. He squinted his eyes so he could get a better look at what was going on, and his breath caught when he noticed that it was Princess Kari and the other girl she was with at the market place.

The guard opened the gate to let them out, and the lavender haired girl moved close to him, getting extremely frivolous. He watched as they all laughed and conversed with each other, and Takeru took this moment to sneak around. He crouched down even lower, and crawled through many bushes. When he thought he was far away from them, he stood up slightly, and walked around, being on the look out for guards.

Just when he thought he was free of anyone's eyes, an arm touched his shoulder, and he jumped, turning around to see Princess Kari staring at him curiously.

"Now, I knew I saw something moving, but I just thought it was a rabbit," she said with a smile. Takeru noticed that she was wearing soft pink gown, while he was dressed in a brown, raggedy cloak, covering his dirty clothes. Then his mind rushed back to reality, and he noticed that her seeing him wasn't good at all.

"I-uh, well…some people say…I-um-look like a rabbit, at times," he stuttered idiotically. Kari raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"Weren't you the young man that I saw at the market place a few days ago?" she asked him curiously. Kari remembered those alluring blue eyes. He bit his lip, thinking of something smart to say.

"Yes, I am…I just- well, after seeing you, your majesty, I felt that I just had to see you again," he lied. In his mind, he was grinning at his fantastic fib, "I just loved being in your high presence." Kari smiled and blushed softly.

"Is that true? Is that why you're sneaking around?" she asked questioningly. He nodded his head, grinning nervously. He hoped that she didn't recognize him, even though he knew she wouldn't. Kari chuckled.

"Well, I'm sure we would've seen each other in the market place again."

"Well, you never know, you're highness. I couldn't take that chance," he said with a laugh, scratching his back. Kari laughed as well.

"So, may inquire to what your name is?" she asked politely. Takeru paused, his mind racing to think of a name.

"Um- my name? Well of course. It's…Iori…Takada," he said with a shaky smile. Kari grinned, buying his act.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you! Where do you live?" she asked, her head tilted to the side a bit. Takeru cursed in his mind, wondering why she was asking so many goddamn questions.

"Um…you know the town- uh- right next to the market place?" he queried, bringing his hand nervously to his chin, and squinting an eye to her.

"Oh yes. The one near Matsukata falls?" Takeru sighed.

"Yes! I live there, with my parents," he said with a grin. Kari laughed, but when she heard Miyako calling for her, she sighed.

"Well, I better be on my way, Iori. It was pleasant meeting you," she beamed. Takeru bit his lip. He had to meet up with the real Iori, but he didn't want Kari to see him. Before she turned around and walked towards her friends, she looked back at Takeru and bit her lip.

"Would you like to meet in the market place tomorrow?" she asked anxiously. Takeru straightened up, and looked at her. He took a deep breath, barely thinking over his response. He knew that Kari could be a great source to get information, and he immediately nodded his head.

"I would love to. What about in the afternoon, near the bread salesman?" he asked with a grin. Kari smiled sweetly and agreed. When she left and was far away, he looked towards the castle and bit his lip. He didn't think there was any point of going in now. Iori would hopefully get some army plans, and Takeru could get the wedding date from Kari. Everything was working to his advantage.

* * *

Sora thought that maybe it would be best to stay away from Taichi. First of all, she doesn't feel comfortable talking to him because she had made a total fool of herself, and second, she also felt completely awkward thinking about what happened. It brought back memories she didn't want to remember, and it hurt her. It wasn't _necessarily _Taichi that hurt her, she was telling the truth to Kari, but in a way, the total event made her wary.

Sora sat on her bed, hugging her knees, and staring out the window. She sighed and rested her head in between her knees. 'Why is it always me?' she thought sadly and sighed again. She brought her head up and stared out the window. Maybe this whole marriage business was a bad idea. Maybe she wasn't old enough, or ready.

A knock on her door made her head turn. She called for them to come on, and her mother walked in happily.

"Sora, darling, can you come downstairs with me for a moment?" she asked in a sweet, motherly, tone. Sora smiled and gracefully got off her bed.

"May I ask what for, mother?" she asked softly, not feeling in the mood. They both exited her chambers, and walked down the hall. Sora looked at her mother intently, noticing that her brown hair was shining nicely in the early afternoon sun.

"Well, did you know that the Motomiya kingdom decided to send troops to aid in the war, and are going to visit for a few days?" she asked Sora with a great grin on her face. Sora gave a fake smile as her heart flipped and fell all the way down to the floor. This couldn't be happening.

"…Everyone from the Motomiya family?" she asked hesitantly. Her mother beamed as they walked down the stairs.

"Yes, the king and queen, Daisuke, Jun, and Jyou," she said gleefully. Sora tried as hard as she could not to turn around, run up to her chambers, and cry herself to sleep. Instead, she asked her dreaded question.

"When are they going to arrive?" she asked, trying to act excited even though she was far from excited.

"Tonight and they'll be staying for two days," she informed her daughter, who just reached the bottom of the stairs, and slowed down her pace, "Of course, I hope that by the time they leave, we'll all have a marriage date set," she said happily. Queen Takenouchi looked at her quizzically when she noticed her odd behavior.

"Are you alright, darling? Do you feel ill?" she asked, placing her hand, gingerly, on Sora's forehead. Sora smiled and shook her head.

"I'm fine, mother. I just remembered that I'm supposed to meet someone in the garden, please excuse me," she explained as she turned around. Queen Takenouchi smiled.

"Alright, dear, I'll see you at lunch," and with that, Sora walked to the front entrance and walked as quickly as she could, away from the castle. She just wanted to get away. As she approached the garden, she noticed that Mimi was nowhere to be found.

Sora took a seat on a bench and let the wind blow through her hair. She took a deep breath and stared at the flowers. She couldn't believe how the day could have just gotten worse. Jyou was coming, and she couldn't face him. Not with everything going on right now. Especially since he would be with Jun…and that hurt her more than anything. She felt her eyes well up with tears, and she rubbed her eyes, trying not to let herself cry for the second time today. She hated herself for being so weak, and she hated herself for ever letting herself get caught in so many messes.

"…Sora?" Sora took her hands away from her eyes, and looked up at Mimi's cinnamon ones. Sora blinked a couple of times to get rid of a few tears, then smiled and got up. Mimi looked at her with concern, genuinely.

"…Are you alright?" she asked softly. Sora bit her lip and nodded slowly.

"I'm fine. Please don't worry about me," she told her as she looked at the ground. Mimi rolled her eyes a little, but was actually worried. For all Mimi knew, Sora could be crying over what a jerk Taichi was and thinking about calling off the wedding, and that idea made Mimi ecstatic. Because not only was it true that Taichi was a jerk, but that would mean that he would be able to be _her _jerk. Mimi cleared her throat.

"So-um, what do you want to see, you're highness?" Mimi asked politely. Sora looked around tiredly and she shook her head.

"Actually, would you mind showing me around the castle? The outside portion, I mean," she asked innocently. Mimi sighed and nodded her head. She didn't mind walking around; she just didn't feel like doing a favor for Sora, after what had happened earlier this morning.

"No problem, Princess. Just follow me," she said lazily. Mimi took her to the right of the castle first, introducing Sora some of the other servants, and then showing her to the horse pen, and also introducing her to some of the horses.

"This girl is my favorite," Mimi told Sora, rubbing the horse's light brown snout. Sora gave a toothy smile.

"What's her name?" she asked, moving closer to Mimi. Mimi gave a slight smile.

"Yuki and I love her to death. She's been at the castle for as long as I have," Mimi explained, "She one of the most important things to me here." Sora looked at her and smiled again.

"Then don't ever let her get away," Sora said with a strange glint in her eyes. Mimi raised an eyebrow and Sora continued, "Don't let anything, or anyone you love get away." Mimi looked at her deeply and she sighed with a slight smile.

"You really are amazing… like everyone says," Mimi admitted, and she wasn't ashamed to state it because if Sora knew that she loved Taichi, she wouldn't try to take him away, and she knew that now. Or at least, she thought so. Sora laughed.

"I'm actually not. I guess… people just have to learn many lessons the hard way to become a great person, even face their fears," Sora stated, looking blankly at nothing in particular. Mimi looked at the ground and then back at Sora.

"You're afraid of…things?" Mimi asked questioningly. Sora smiled with a strange sadness in her eyes.

"Everyone has fears, Mimi, even me." Mimi took everything in and shook her head in astonishment

"If it helps, you're highness, I believe you're amazing," Mimi declared. It shocked herself that she had said that, but it was true. Sora was never a bad person, and Mimi was just being a little selfish. Taichi loved her, and she shouldn't have to worry. Sora smiled.

"So are you, Mimi," Sora told her, giving her a beautiful smile. Mimi grinned back.

"Well, shall we leave? There's still more to be seen," Mimi asked politely, finally feeling like she and Sora were going to get along. Sora chuckled, fixing her tiara.

"Of course," and with that, Mimi and Sora left the pen, and headed towards the back of the castle. Mimi explained to Sora that here was where most of the troops trained. As the came, they caught glimpse of Taichi sword fighting with his trainer, Shin.

Shin swung his sword towards Taichi, and Taichi made a scrunched face, thrusting his sword in front of Shin's, blocking the attack. Taichi pushed forward as hard as he could, and Shin lost his balance for a second. Taichi took this moment to swing his wrist and clash his sword with his opponent's. Shin stumbled and lost his sword, and Taichi took that moment to push him down to the ground. Shin laid there, Taichi's sword pinning him down, and Shin grinned.

"Great work, Tai! You're definitely improving," he said, and Taichi grinned, helping him up. Shin brushed off some of the dirt from his navy hair and fixing his spectacles. Taichi gave his famous lopsided grin and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, you know, Shin, I've always had some raw talent," Taichi told him, cockily. Mimi laughed and rolled her eyes, while Sora just stood there, staring at Shin. He looked awfully familiar.

Taichi turned at the familiar giggle, and saw Mimi and Sora. He smiled and bobbed his eyebrows at the girls.

"So, you like what you see?" he asked, grinning like a fool. Mimi smiled.

"Well of course, you're majesty," she said, looking at him fondly. Taichi smiled back, knowing that somehow, Mimi had gotten over her little rage. Taichi took a glance at Sora and saw her staring at Shin, who was breathing on his glasses, then cleaning them with his navy blue shirt. Taichi raised an eyebrow, and walked up to the two girls. He winked as he walked by Mimi and then stood by Sora.

"So, I guess you like what you see when it comes to Shin," he said with a smile. Sora turned around and looked at him, and then she ignored him and walked up to Shin. Taichi furrowed his eyebrows as watched her.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but, aren't you Jyou Kido's brother?" Sora asked quietly as she stood in front of him. Shin looked up, squinted his eyes, and put on his glasses.

"Yes I am- oh! Princess Sora, I do believed we've met before, at the wedding," he stated while taking Sora's hand and kissed it politely. Sora's smile widened, but Shin knew that it was somewhat forced.

"How have you been?" She asked casually. Shin smiled and rested his body weight on his sword.

"I've been fine, actually. I love being here at the Yagami castle," he explained. Sora smiled.

"It is very lovely here, compared to my kingdom," Sora said with a slight frown. Shin put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine in a matter of time," he soothed. Sora smiled and continued another conversation with Shin.

Taichi looked on with a slight glare, and he folded his arms across his chest. Mimi was watching Sora converse with Shin and then she turned back to look at Taichi, who was glaring angrily at them.

"What's wrong?" she asked, wanting to put her arms around his chest. Taichi looked at her and let out a frustrated sigh.

"I think she's angry at me for what happened this morning," he explained, then he made a face and quickly turned around to look at Mimi, "and I swear nothing happened…well something happened, but not the _something_ you think." Mimi grinned, loving every inch of him.

"I know, I believe you," she whispered. Taichi looked at her incredulously and she laughed.

"Well, just spending some time with Sora made me realize that she's a good person, and so are you, so I don't have to worry about anything," she explained. Taichi smiled.

"Finally," he stated with an exaggerated sigh. Mimi wanted to punch him in the arm but he's still a prince, and it would be shame worthy if she did in front of so many people.

"What did happen?" Mimi questioned. Taichi shrugged his shoulders and looked at the ground.

"Well, I pulled her into the lake as a small prank, but I didn't know that she's scared of the water and that she can't swim. She was extremely frightened. It was very…un-Sora like," he explained. Mimi rolled her eyes, wanting to punch his arm again.

"Everyone has fears, Courageous Prince Taichi, even you," Mimi said, leaving him with her sweet smile and walking up to Sora and Shin. Taichi stood there, soaking in Mimi's words and he followed her.

Sora conversed with Shin contently. Even though he was Jyou's brother, he was different. Jyou could barely talk to a girl, and here was Shin, talking away with Sora. Jyou had problems expressing his feelings, and Shin could tell Sora about how he felt on the war, and everything. Jyou wasn't strong enough to-

"So, you guys have met before?" asked Mimi, smiling at both of them. Sora grinned.

"Yes, Shin is my-um friend, Jyou's, brother, and we met at Jyou's wedding," Sora explained, trying not to think about the actual wedding. Mimi beamed.

"Really? Do you know Daisuke?" Mimi asked cheerfully. Shin chuckled.

"It's quite hard to forget him," Shin stated while rolling his eyes, and at that moment Taichi walked up to them, standing next to Sora, "he actually reminds me of Taichi." Taichi scowled at Shin's comment.

"I am nothing like Daisuke," Taichi stated, looking away. Shin and Mimi laughed, but Sora looked at the ground.

"Well, nice talking to you, Shin, I'll see you soon," Sora said with charm, and walked away, trying not to bump into Taichi on the way. Shin looked at her with a weird look, then looked at Taichi who had an annoyed look on his face.

"What did you do, Tai?" he asked, looking at Mimi with a slight smile on his face. Taichi looked at him angrily.

"I didn't do anything!" he yelled. Shin gave him a harder look, and Mimi tried to hold in a giggle. Taichi looked at the floor and bit his lip.

"I didn't mean to do anything…" he said, trailing off. Shin raised his eyebrows, and Mimi looked at him sympathetically.

"Well, you're highness, maybe you should go talk to her," Mimi said softly. It was hard for her to say it, but she knew that Taichi hated that Sora was upset at him. He felt guilty, and she knew that. Taichi looked at her and smiled. He turned around and jogged, trying to catch up with Sora. Shin sighed.

"She's too sweet to be stuck with him," he stated with grin. Mimi smiled slightly.

"I know…"


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the delay, again, but this chapter is the longest chapter I've ever written, and not to mention I had about fifty writer's blocks while writing it, but it's done. I'm am happy to mention that I know what i want to happen in the story from here on, but the next chapter might not be up till two weeks. (I'll try my best to get it in before then, but I haven't started to write it yet.) I'm sorry if it's too long, but I'm pretty sure it starts to get a little interesting here, so bare with me. And I gave a few hints to how this story will end so look out for those. R&R.

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon

* * *

King Ishida slammed his fists on the dining table, his face turning red in anger, and his dark brown hair dull in the light.

"What do you mean the number of our troops has decreased?!" he shouted angrily, his voice echoing in the dreary dining room. Yamato winced, but continued to eat his food quietly.

"You're m-majesty, in the many battles that have b-been fought, and even won, the loss of life amongst our troops has been…r-remarkably great," the military soldier explained warily, saluting once again. The king shot up from his seat, knocking down his chair. He grabbed the soldier by his neck and glared at him with his hollow eyes.

"Then you will find new recruits, do I make myself clear?" he asked with a low growl before shoving the man to the ground. The soldier brought himself up, clumsily, and saluted before rushing out of the dining room as quickly as he could.

Yamato glanced at his father, who had sat back down after a servant brought his chair in its proper position. Yamato noticed that his father's eyes were bloodshot, his was skin pale, and he looked awfully disheveled.

"Will you be alright, father?" he asked cautiously. The king looked at him with a vacant expression.

"I'm fine, Yamato. Now, keep quiet and eat," he ordered, getting back to his food. Yamato sighed to himself and finished up his early dinner. He slowly got up from the table, and wiped his mouth.

"Excuse me," he stated softly before exiting the dining area and walking towards his room. Before he reached the exit, his father called to him in a rough voice.

"Have you heard any news on the two boys, yet? The information I need is vital, and you know what will happen to them if they shall fail," he asked, continuing to eat his food nonchalantly. It made him look wicked, as if he cared for no one. Yamato glared slightly.

"One of the two 'spies' is your son. Do you not care for his safety?" Yamato asked with a new, profound anger in his voice. He had always been meaning to ask his father this question. King Ishida turned his head around, slamming his fork on the plate in front of him.

"He is no son of mine! The only use I have for him is his ability to obtain information, but you are my son, Yamato. You are the only one I need!" he sated angrily. Yamato knew better than to talk back, so instead he left while slamming the door, and making his way to the back of the castle. He needed to take his anger out on something, or someone.

He left the castle, riding his horse to wherever the road took him.

* * *

Mimi sighed in relief as she threw a dirty rag into the bucket. She finished the last of her chores, finally. Because of the tour she gave to Princess Sora earlier that day, she hadn't had the chance to catch up on her work. 

Mimi got up slowly, holding the bucket in her hand, and walked towards a window. She threw the water outside, then walked to the kitchen, and placed the bucket on a table.

Miyako walked in and grinned at Mimi.

"You won't believe what has happened!" Miyako squealed, taking Mimi by the hand and jumping up and down. Mimi laughed and stopped her frantic jumping.  
"What?"

"Well, Kari and I went to talk with Ken earlier today, and we decided to go to take a stroll around the kingdom later tonight," she stated gleefully. Mimi smiled amusedly and chuckled.

"I should have known this would have been about Ken," Mimi stated rolling her eyes slightly. Miyako made a face and scoffed.  
"Well I can't help if talking about him makes me happy," she said with a pout which made Mimi giggle and give Miyako a hug.

Koushiro entered the kitchen, smiling and putting his bucket on the table. He looked up with the two girls and raised an eyebrow.

"I hate to interrupt you two, but I've just heard that the Motomiya kingdom is coming later this evening," Koushiro stated merrily. Mimi and Miyako looked at each other for a while then turned back to Koushiro.

"We know," they answered together. Koushiro's eyes bulged a little and he looked at them incredulously.

"How do you know already? I'm always the first to hear things" he asked with a groan. Miyako laughed a put a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, there's a first time for everything," she stated with a grin. Koushiro pouted and turned his head away. Mimi chuckled and put her arm around Koushiro.

"Next time I hear something, I'll tell you first, before I tell anyone. Will that make you feel better?" she asked, smiling sweetly at him. Koushiro blushed.

"Not really…" he trailed. Mimi rolled her eyes and giggled, shoving him a little and walking to the entrance of the castle.

"I'll be back before dinner, I have some other business to take care of," she stated as she walked away. Miyako smirked and watched her leave. Koushiro raised an eyebrow, then shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

After talking with Shin, Sora realized that there was no way that she could face _anyone_ right now. She sighed and wrapped her arms around her knees as she hid in the cellar of the Yagami castle, knowing that no one would look for her here. 

She didn't want Jyou to come to the castle. She couldn't bare it. Sora shut her eyes tightly, taking a deep breath through her nose, and holding it there till she could feel the tension inside her decrease.

Sora could hear the servants upstairs, hustling around to try to get everything prepared before the Motomiyas arrived. She then noticed the musty scent of the cellar, and the dampness of it. She opened her eyes and peered through the dark chamber, scanning everything. It seemed intimidating to her, but it didn't stop her from moving from her spot. She knew that it would be better for her if she stayed down here, then trying to put up an act for everyone upstairs.

A sudden rackety sound made Sora jump and her eyes searched the vast cellar, looking for the source of the sound. She heard a slight banging sound soon after, and she got up from the floor, her heart pounding. She didn't know why she felt so scared; the noise could just be a mouse. Sora wandered around, trying to follow the faint noise, but it felt as if the sound was coming from all directions. Finally, she saw a faint glimmer of light on the floor coming from a small window near the ceiling. She looked up at the window.

Sora screamed loudly when she saw a face staring back at her. She couldn't move, her legs wouldn't let her. Her heart was throbbing uncontrollably. The head shifted a little; obviously the person was lying on their stomach. The light shined on the person's face, and it was now noticeable that he was a man. He brought his arm forward, pointing an arrow towards her.

Sora stared at his face, which was dark and hard to see because the sun was setting behind him, but slight blue could be seen in his eyes. He aimed the arrow at her, so it seemed, and let go. Sora ducked and fell to the floor as the arrow struck the wooden pole behind her. A few tears escaped her eyes, and she remained still on the floor, too scared to move in case the man was still staring at her.

The clicking noise of several boots made her look up cautiously. A few guards, including Ken, walked over to her. Ken kneeled down in front of her, his armor clanking as he helped her to a seating position on the floor.

"Are you alright, princess? We heard you scream." he asked softly. Sora looked at the window for the man, but he was gone. She nodded her head slowly. Ken observed the other guards, and they found the arrow moving limply on the wall. The other guards pulled it out, and motioned for Ken to join them. Ken got up, examined the arrow, and his eyes widened.

King Yagami came down the stairs and his eyes widened when he saw Sora sitting on the ground, breathing heavily. He walked quickly towards her and kneeled down. He brought his hand to her hand, and Sora looked up, still completely shaken.

"Sora, what happened?" Sora didn't answer right away, but when she found her train of thought she took a deep breath and answered.

"I was just sitting down here…and I heard noises…then I saw a man through that window," she answered pointing to it, a few tears escaping her eyes. This day could definitely not become any worse. King Yagami got up, and ordered a guard to climb up on an old table, and look out the window. The guard shook his head, saying that noting was there. Sora got up awkwardly, and shook her head.

"No, he was there. He shot that arrow at me," she stated pointing to the arrow in Ken's hand as she closed her eyes, trying to stop her raging nerves. The king looked at the arrow and his eyes widened.

"All of you guards follow me," he stated with a deep, angry voice. He put his arm around Sora's shoulders and walked up the stairs. King Yagami led them to the entrance of the castle, and all faces turned towards them.

Taichi, Kari, Queen Yagami, King Takenouchi, and Queen Takenouchi faced towards the main entrance door, and there stood Queen Motomiya, King Motomiya, Daisuke Motomiya, Jun Kido Motomiya, and Jyou Kido Motomiya. Sora's eyes widened and she looked the ground. The day just got a little worse.

"Sora?" Queen Takenouchi walked to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her, "Darling, what happened?" Sora didn't answer; the shock of the attack and Jyou was getting to her. King Yagami led her to the group, and called to talk with all the Kings and queens, leaving Taichi, Sora, Kari, Jyou, Jun, and Daisuke all together. Daisuke grinned, and bowed to Sora, his red and gold robes were bright in the room.

"We meet again, Sora," he stated with a foolish smirk. Sora looked at him, lifted the corners of her mouth, and stare at her feet. Taichi hit him on the head for being inconsiderate and examined Sora's expression. After she left in the afternoon, he looked everywhere trying to find her, but couldn't. He wanted to talk to her about this morning.

"Sora…are you alright?" Jyou asked softly, his black eyes stared at her with concern. Sora looked up at him and noticed that he hadn't changed much. His navy hair shined brilliantly, and the frames of his glasses had gotten smaller. Her stomach churned and she looked away again.

"I'm fine. I just…it was nothing," she didn't want to worry anyone about what happened in the cellar. Kari bit her lip, wanting to ask her questions, but she didn't want to pester her. Jun smiled.

"Well, anyway, it's great seeing you again, Sora!" she exclaimed, moving closer to embrace the younger girl. Sora hugged back half-heartedly and smiled the best she could at Jun. Daisuke rolled his eyes.

"And I was being inconsiderate?" he asked, nodding his head at his older sister. Jun smiled at him and took Jyou's hand in hers. Jyou smiled at her and then turned back to Sora.

"So, how have you been?" he asked with a slight smile. Sora pursed her lips.

"Fine, actually," she stated, feeling terribly awkward. Jyou grinned.

"That's good," he said with a smile.

"Jyou?! Jun?!"

Everyone turned around and saw Shin standing there in his armored clothing. Jyou's grin widened as he ran to greet his brother. Jun smiled and followed. Kari looked at Daisuke who was standing there, not really caring about anything but the hilt of his sword.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" Kari asked with a slight smile at the mahogany haired boy. Daisuke raised an eyebrow.

"I don't really know who he is," he stated with a smirk. Kari rolled her eyebrows, and took this opportunity to drag Daisuke to Shin, Jyou, and Jun. She knew that if she could get Taichi and Sora alone, then maybe she might talk to him, and hopefully sparks would fly.

Sora was about to turn around and head to her chambers, but a hand grabbed hers. She turned around and saw Taichi standing there, a great look of concern filled his chocolate eyes.

"Sora, what happened?" he asked, determined to figure out what had gotten her so shaken up. Sora broke free from his hand, and backed away.

"Nothing, Taichi, I just want to be left alone," she informed. Taichi moved and stopped her in her tracks.

"No, not until you tell me what happened? Are you still mad at me from this morning?" he asked, looking at her apologetically. She forgot about the lake incident, and now that she remembered, she felt awkward around him again. She stepped to the side of him, trying to leave, only to be met by him stepping to the side as well. She was getting aggravated, so she looked at him, determined to smack him in the face, but stopped when she saw how his hair sparkled in the dim, setting sun. His eyes twinkled with concern and she found herself getting lost in them. She shook her head and shoved pass him. She hated these feelings she was having.

She power walked to her chambers as fast as she could, and from what she knew, she couldn't hear anyone following behind her.

* * *

King Yagami showed all the other kings and queens the arrow. He slammed it on the table in front of him, and shoved his head in his hands. 

"How this man was able to get close to the castle, and shoot this arrow at Sora is beyond me…none of the watch guards had seen him break through," King Yagami explained. King Takenouchi's soft amber eyes glared.

"My daughter almost got killed, Susumu. If she is going to be put in this kind of danger, I do _not_ want this marriage to take place," King Takenouchi explained, with a bit of pity in his eyes. Queen Takenouchi looked to the ground, silently agreeing with her husband. King Motomiya spoke up.

"Canceling the marriage will only make things worse. Just order more guards around the castle to make sure no more Ishida snipers get through," he suggested. Queen Yagami and Queen Motomiya nodded in agreement.

"I obviously will, but I must say that if one Ishida sniper could get through without getting caught then our defenses must be brought up greatly," King Yagami stated.

"We will help in any way possible," King Motomiya offered with a smile as he took his wife's hand. King Takenouchi sighed.

"I want this marriage to take place as well, Susumu, but I do not want to put my daughter's life at stake…" he said softly, running his fingers through his amber hair. King Yagami got up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I promise you that as long as your daughter is on my territory, she will not be harmed."

* * *

A knock on her chamber doors made Sora jump from her thoughts. She didn't feel like saying anything. She was still shaken by this whole day, and didn't feel like talking to anyone, but knew better than to hide in the cellar now. When the knock came a second time she sighed and sat up, straightening out her dress. She softly called for the person to come in. Jyou walked in, poking his head in first, smiling, and closing the door behind him. Sora's stomach clenched and she looked away. Why did he always come back? 

"I came to see if you're alright," he said softly, sitting down on the bed next to her. She bit the insides of her mouth. Of course he'd know if something was wrong. They'd been childhood friends so he knew her well.

"I'm fine," she whispered softly, still not looking at him, but at her shoes. Her chocolate dress was getting wrinkled from all the events of the day, and her hair was a little unkempt, but she was still undoubtedly beautiful. Jyou smiled.

"Well, I'm not moving until you tell me what's wrong," he declared, crossing one foot over the other and folding his arms. Sora clenched her jaw. She knew he wouldn't leave now, even if he had before. It made her even more depressed. It amazed her that even though she was perfectly fine yesterday, today was a total wreck.

When Sora still didn't speak, he took her hand and squeezed it gently,

"Are you unhappy with the arranged marriage?" he asked softly, his eyes filled with concern. Sora's heart flipped because of the warmth of his hand and indirect mention of Taichi.

"…No," she whispered. Jyou frowned, trying to probe her to tell him what was bothering her.

"Well…what happened before you came in to greet us? You looked shaken," he stated, rubbing her hand. Sora got annoyed and pulled her hand away.

"Nothing, Jyou! I told you I'm-"

"No you're not. I know you're not, Sora, and you're not telling me what's bothering you so I can't help it if I'm worried about you," he explained, looking at her with grief. Sora shook her head and squeezed her eyes so her tears wouldn't fall, but they did. Jyou got alarmed and pulled Sora into a friendly embrace, rubbing her back gently. Sora wrapped her arms around his waist loosely and dug her face into his shoulder. He hushed her and kissed her head softly.

"Tell me, Sora," he soothed. Sora hated herself for crying again. She lost track of how many times she's cried that night.

"I can't tell you," she said softly. She couldn't tell him that he hurt her, it would only hurt him back… and she didn't want to do that. He rested his chin on top her head.

"You can tell me anything." She shook her head.

"I don't want to," she said even more softly, pulling away from him a little. Jyou's brows furrowed and he sighed.

"Well, then are you going to be alright?" he asked. She stared at him and turned her head.

"I'm really getting tired of people asking me that," she stated with a slight smile. She hated herself for giving in to him. He smiled as well.

"You know, that didn't make me feel any less worried," he said as fixed his glasses. Sora looked at the floor. She had to at least tell him something.

"In the cellar…that's where I was before everyone had arrived…a man shot an arrow at me through an upper window," Sora explained, fidgeting with a part of her dress. She wanted him to kiss her, make her feel safe and secure. His eyes widened and he turned Sora towards him again,

"What?! Sora, are you hurt?" he queried while grasping onto her shoulders. She shook him off and calmed him down.

"I'm alright, Jyou. Don't worry, I fell to the ground before it could hit me," she stated. He studied her, and then slouched his shoulders.

"Sora, what were you doing in a cellar all by yourself?" he asked incredulously. Sora got nervous again, not knowing what to say.

"I just needed some time to myself," she explained, looking away. He sighed and shifted.

"I don't know what I would do if you ever got hurt," he said softly, smiling at her.

"I know…" she said softly, wanting to change the subject now. She smiled back awkwardly, and after a long silence, she asked him a question.

"How's everything with you?" Jyou smiled nervously and chuckled.

"Great," he said with proud, "Actually, Sora, I have to tell you some great news." Sora looked at him with complete question. He smiled and took one of her hands.

"We were going to tell everyone at dinner, but I really want to tell you now," he stated. Sora bit her lip, her curiosity growing.

"Sora…Jun's pregnant." And that was it. Two words that she really didn't want to hear. Of course, she was happy for Jun and Jyou, but it just made her even more upset. She forced a grin.

"Congratulations…" she said awkwardly as she gave him a hug. Jyou was so happy he didn't notice. He laughed as they pulled away.

"I can't believe it, Sora. It's…unimaginable. I'm going to be a father soon," he stated with pure happiness. Sora nodded and listened to him, even though every word he said was like a dagger to her body.

"I can't explain how much I love her, Sora. I love her so much, and I'm so happy," he said with a lost, swooned expression. That was the last dagger, and it hurt the most. Sora got up, and walked to the door.

"Excuse me, Jyou, I think someone was calling me," she said as she opened the door, leaving Jyou there with a dumbfounded expression as he called out for her. She closed the door and ran. She didn't know where, but she kept going and going, not crying, but running. She felt restless.

When she came to a stop, it took her a while to notice that she was standing in front of Taichi's door. How she got there, she had no idea. Her arm started to move subconsciously, and was about to knock, but she drew back. What was she doing? Taichi is the last person she should be talking to. She was so confused.

"Sora?"

Sora turned around to the familiar voice, and her heart skipped. Taichi stood behind her, obviously heading towards his chambers. He looked ruffled and disheveled, as if he'd rolled around on the floor. Sora's chest started to heave, and her legs were about to give out. She couldn't take this anymore. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. He smelled sweet.

Taichi dropped the extra swords in his hands that he had picked up from Shin after he and Mimi spent some time in the horse pen. He wrapped his arms around Sora's waist and looked worriedly at her. He let her cry on his robes, knowing by now that he just shouldn't say anything yet. When she calmed down, he started to talk.

"I would ask if you were okay, but that would be stupid…then I would ask what's wrong, but I'm guessing you wouldn't answer anyway," he stated with a smirk. Sora pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry…I just needed to let that out on someone, and you were the only one here," she stated softly, still unsure on why she ran to his door. His strong, cheerful demeanor made it easier to talk with him. Then again, Sora knew that what happened between them isn't as bad as what was going on with Jyou. He smiled and picked up the swords from the floor, knowing that Sora wasn't angry at him for this morning.

"I've just had an awful day…" she stated, looking at the floor, and then biting her lip. Taichi looked at her with pity, fighting the urge to apologize once again. Then an idea hit him.

"Well, I know how to end your day on a good note," he stated with a grin. Sora looked up at him and couldn't help but smile genuinely, "After dinner, how about you and I go into town and just have some fun?"

Sora raised an eyebrow.

"What do you have planned?" she asked with curiosity. She wanted to get away, and this might be how.

"Well, I sneak out with Koushiro all the time, so I guess we would be doing the usual," he stated, opening his chamber doors, throwing the swords in, and then closing it. Sora rolled her eyes at this.

"What's the usual?" she said with a croak in her voice. Taichi gave her one of his lop-sided grins.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

"I'm bored." 

"Well, what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Entertain me."

Kari looked at Daisuke with a furrowed brow and smirked, "No."

Daisuke, who was lying down on Kari's pink bed, sat up and looked at her. She got up from the chair in front of her dressing table, and sat down next to him. He scoffed and lied back down.

"Well, what do you want to do?" he asked, closing his eyes. Kari smiled and hit him in the stomach. He yelped and glared at her.

"What was that for?!" he screamed. Kari giggled and rolled her eyes.

"I was bored."

Daisuke glared, snorted, and went back to his normal position. Kari smiled to herself. Even though Daisuke was the biggest fool she'd ever met, excluding Taichi, he was the most entertaining person she'd ever known. When they were younger, they would always play games, and poke fun at each other. Now that they were older, it was hard to have that same relationship.

Kari sighed and started to lie down on her bed as well. Daisuke opened one of his eyes and peered at her.

"I missed you," he said softly. Kari looked at him and smiled.

"I missed you, too," she stated with a grin, but Daisuke was staring at the ceiling. Kari didn't know how, but something about him had changed. And she didn't want him to change because he was one of the only people in her life that wouldn't. She heard him sigh.

"Kari, I need to tell you some-" a knock on her door interrupted him. He let out a frustrated sigh, and sat up. Kari followed his motion and called for the person to come in.

Miyako walked in and grinned.

"Dinner is served!' she exclaimed cheerfully. Kari chuckled nervously and Daisuke raised an eyebrow.

"You get weirder every time I see you," he stated with a smirk as he got up from Kari's bed and started to walk towards the door. As he left, Kari glared slightly at Miyako. She looked at her innocently and raised her arms.

"What did I do?"

Kari sighed.

"He was going to tell me something," she said while getting up off the bed as well. Miyako raised her eyebrow.

"Really?" Kari nodded and walked out the door. Miyako grinned sheepishly and apologized.

* * *

Mimi sighed deeply, thanking god that dinner was prepared, and everything was set on the table. She sat down on a chair in the kitchen, and rested her head on the cool table.  
Miyako walked in after coming down with Kari. She smiled and poked Mimi's back, while other servants and maids jostled around the kitchen, still serving things outside. 

Mimi looked up lazily and smiled. Miyako sat down in the chair across from her grinned, leaning closer to her.

"Taichi wore you out, huh?" she whispered with a smirk. Mimi's head shot up and she glared at her.

"Say it louder, Miyako," Mimi snapped angrily. Miyako chuckled at her sarcastic comment and waved at her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Don't worry, no one heard."

Mimi glared again and got up from the table. Miyako smiled and followed her.

"I'm sorry, Mimi," she said again. Mimi rolled her eyes and smiled slightly.

"I know. It's just…let's not talk about _that_ while people are around, from now on," she said, pointing her finger. Miyako sighed and pouted.

"Okay." Mimi smiled and put a hand around her.

"Well then, let's go. That bread's not going to serve itself," Mimi said grabbing a big basket full of bread and walking to the dinning area. Miyako followed, holding two baskets.

Everyone was talking happily, and Mimi looked to see Taichi talking with Daisuke who was sitting across from him. Mimi was going to set the bread on the table, standing next to Daisuke's chair. She bent down, and gave a secret look to Taichi. Taichi smiled at her, and bit his lip. His stomach clenched. He wanted her, again. Daisuke babbled on and on, not noticing anything.

Mimi bobbed one of her eyebrows and walked away. Before she left, she took one last look at him over her shoulder, but caught a glimpse at Sora instead. She looked oddly upset. Mimi scrunched her eyebrows and looked at her with pity. She felt Taichi's eyes on her and shifted her eyes to his. She gave him a knowing look and walked into the kitchen.

Taichi let out a slow breath and looked at Sora after Mimi left. She didn't eat her food and fidgeted with the napkin on her lap. She stared at the table cloth and was breathing softly. He then looked over at Daisuke who was now talking with Jyou, and then at Sora again through the corner of her eye.

Sora sat up straighter in her chair when she felt Taichi place his hand on top of hers. Her hand didn't take his back and she stared at her food. Her foot started to tap slightly, but she felt calmed. The heat of his hand warmed hers. She looked up when she felt Jyou's eyes on her and then she looked back down as he started to clink his glass with a butter knife.

Jyou stopped tapping his glass when he had everyone's attention and cleared his throat as he took Jun's hand in his. She smiled up at him, and then looked at the table giddily.

"Jun and I have an announcement to make," he stated proudly, pushing up his glasses. Sora pursed her lips.

"Jun is-"

"I'm pregnant!" Jun announced loudly, grinning widely. Jyou chuckled and didn't mind that she had interrupted him. She was Jun after all. Everyone smiled and beamed. Soon, everybody at the table was hand shaking and embracing the couple, and Daisuke just stared at the table in shock.

Kari looked at Daisuke from her seat next to Sora and called for him. He looked up, still in amazement.

"You're going to be an uncle…" she mouthed to him. His eyes widened and he looked at the table again, in complete astonishment. Kari giggled and got up to embrace Jun.

"Congratulations, Jyou! You're going to be a father." Taichi exclaimed grinning like a fool, even though he barely knew the man. He smiled, thanked Taichi, and went on to thank everyone else. Sora shut her eyes, hating the moment, and she clasped onto Taichi's already holding hand. He averted his gaze and looked at Sora. She bit her lip and turned to look at him, feeling their awkward stare about to take place.

"I…I-um- wanted to know when we were going to leave tonight," she said softly, pulling her hand away. Taichi knew something was really bothering her because Sora wasn't a person to stutter. He smiled at her gently.

"As soon is everyone is asleep, I'll come and get you from your chambers. Then you, Koushiro, and I will leave through the back door in the kitchen and get to a horse carriage near the horse pen," he stated fluently. She smiled back. He had obviously done this many times and she was glad. She had to get away from everything that had occurred today.

She nodded her head and then stared back at her food. Taichi looked at her with concern and leaned over to her, pulling her chair closer to his. No one had noticed because everyone was huddled around Jyou and Jun.

Sora looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What was that for?" she asked softly, again. Taichi grinned and brought his arms behind his head.

"You were too far away," he stated, winking at her. Sora smiled genuinely again. He was absolutely crazy, and yet, she felt drawn to him, despite everything happening around her.

He looked up from Sora, and at Mimi, who was entering from the door. She came in with a bottle of wine that King Yagami had wanted for a celebration of a new life soon about to enter the world. As she left, Mimi scratched her chin and Taichi got the message. That was one of their signals, and it meant that she wanted to see him. Taichi looked at Sora, who was now staring at Jyou and Jun, then quickly nodded his head to Mimi. She smiled and went on.

Thankfully, no one had seen anything, and Taichi sighed. Sora smiled to herself.

* * *

Kari looked everywhere, but couldn't seem to find Daisuke anywhere. He wasn't in the room he was borrowing, nor was he in anyone else's chambers. She sighed, walking around the castle again. It was getting a little late, and after dinner, Daisuke seemed kind of shaken. Kari chuckled to herself. Of course he would, he's not used to surprises. 

She sighed, giving up, and walking back up to her chambers. Her light pink dress dragged up the stairs as she went, and it took her a while to reach her destination. She jumped when she saw someone sitting on the floor, in front of her chambers' entrance.

Daisuke looked up and smiled sweetly at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he told her, still sitting on the floor. Kari sighed and glared slightly.

"What are you doing outside of my room, Daisuke?" she asked, pretending to scold him. He grinned and remained on the floor.

"Nothing, I just felt like talking with you, that's all. But you weren't in your chambers, so I decided to wait for you," he explained, spreading his arms out to show her. She grinned, taking a seat on the floor next to him. For a while, both of them sat there in a comfortable silence, waiting for the other to say something. Finally, Kari broke the ice.

"Still staggered by Jun's pregnancy?" Kari asked softly. Daisuke looked at her, and brought his knees up to his chest. His gold and red robes shined in the light.

"It's scary, Kari…" he stated. Kari raised an eyebrow, waiting for more. He looked at her and Kari saw something in his eyes that she'd never seen before. She bit her lip. He was changing, and _that_ scared her.

"We're growing up so fast, and it's scary to know that in a few years, I might end up the same way…" he stated. Kari smiled.

"Pregnant?" she asked, teasing him to lighten the mood. But Daisuke didn't smile, and she knew his old self would have.

"No…Kari what I mean is- I…" Daisuke didn't know what to say. He knew he had to tell her, but he couldn't. Kari raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong, Daisuke?" she asked softly. Daisuke turned and looked into her soft brown eyes. He bit his lip, got hold of her shoulders, and brought his lips to hers. Kari's eyes widened and she didn't know what to do. He pulled her closer, not sure of what he was doing either and Kari's eyes slowly started to close while her lips almost started to kiss back. Kari pulled away quickly, and shook her head. Daisuke bit his lip, knowing now that she didn't want him to do that. There was an awkward pause.

He got up quietly, and started to walk away, heading for anyplace that would help him clear his thoughts. Kari knew she had to stop him, and they needed to talk, so she got up and yanked at his arm. He stopped and looked at her. She bit her lip. Her gold tiara started to droop off her head.

"D-Daisuke…I don't want to ruin our friendship…" she explained softly. He looked to the ground, his nose flaring out of anger, slightly.

"It wouldn't ruin anything, Kari," he spat, turning around again, but Kari held onto his arm. She didn't want him to leave. She missed the old Daisuke already: the goof-ball that would make her laugh. She hated that everything was changing: first the kingdom because of the war, then Taichi, and now Daisuke. She hated it all.

"It would…I don't want to hurt what we have…" she stated in a low voice, her heart pumping faster. He shook his head.

"This is what I mean, Kari! Everything we had before is different than what we have _now_," he paused and held onto her shoulders again, staring her in the eyes, "We're growing up, Kari. And I'm just starting to realize who and what I want…and that scares me."

Kari bit her lip, tears filling her eyes. She was almost sixteen, and she knew that she had to realize what she wanted as well. She stared into his eyes. Did she want Daisuke? She shook her head forcefully.

"You don't know what you're talking about! Everything is still the same-"

"No its not, Kari! Open your eyes. No one is the same anymore. Stop trying to block your mind from the truth," he stated, growing frustrated. Kari glared at him as her tears began to fall. She was so confused.

"Kari, I can't help it if I have feelings for you. And even though you didn't want this to happen, it did, and you _can't_ change that," he stated firmly. Kari was so confused.

"Stop talking nonsense, Tai-!" she cut herself off, biting her tongue for her mistake. Daisuke looked to the ground, shutting his eyes. She covered her mouth, her body raked with a few sobs. He was acting more like Taichi and Kari couldn't take it. That's why she confused the both of them. Daisuke was being selfish just like Taichi. Only caring for his own feelings, but nothing for hers.

He shook his head.

"Daisuke, Kari. I'm Daisuke," he stated, angry that she mixed up his name. If she called him Taichi, then that only meant that she thought of him as a brother, and nothing more. That's what Daisuke thought, and even though the reason was completely absurd, he couldn't think of a better one.

* * *

Taichi walked into his room quietly, and when he saw Mimi sleeping on his bed peacefully, he felt fully inclined to wake her up. After closing and locking the door, he tip-toed to the bed, crawled towards her sleeping body, moved some cinnamon hair out of her ear, and grinned mischievously. 

Taichi screamed into her ear, and Mimi screeched, hitting Taichi on the head with her fist. He fell off the bed and landed on the floor with a thud. Mimi gasped worriedly and looked to the floor from the bed to see if Taichi was okay. When he groaned in response, Mimi grinned.

"Serves you right, considering you snuck up on a girl," she stated, reaching down and playing with his hair. He rolled his eyes and brought himself up.

"You weren't supposed to attack me!" he exclaimed, rubbing the sore bump on the back of his head.

Mimi laughed and pulled Taichi back on the bed, kissing him fully on the lips. He smiled and gladly kissed back, wrapping his arms around her waist. As it started to get deeper, Taichi pulled away.

"Mimi, wait. I don't think we should do this now, I have to leave in a while, once everyone goes to sleep," he told her. Mimi's breathing was labored and she raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you still have a while till everyone goes to bed," she stated, pulling him towards her by his robes and kissing him again, running her hands down his chest. Taichi grinned as she started to reach under his shirt, and pulled away. She pouted.

"I don't want to be tired when I go, okay? We can hold off, just tonight though," he declared, fixing some of her hair. She made a face and folded her arms across her chest.

"Where are you going, anyway?" she asked. Taichi smiled, knowing he could tell her the truth now that she didn't hate Sora.

"Well, Sora told me she was having an awful day, and you saw that by the look on her face, didn't you?" he asked, tilting his head. Mimi nodded slowly, not liking the direction this was going.

"Well, right before dinner, she was standing in front of my door, while I was heading towards my chambers. And when I called her name, she came running towards me, crying," he told her. Mimi's eyes became filled with pity and she hunched a little.

"So I told her that we could go out and have some fun in town tonight," he said with a small smile. Mimi didn't return it.

"You're going to cancel our plans tonight, and take her out because she had a bad day?" she asked incredulously. Taichi winced. He should have known that she wouldn't be too accepting of his plans.

"Mimi, she was _crying_. You know I hate it when people cry," he stated. She scoffed.

"So? Why not give her a hug- no, a handshake, and tell her that everything would be okay?" Mimi said with a squeak. Taichi rolled his eyes.

"I thought you said you trusted me," he pointed out. Mimi looked at his bed, glaring.

"I do."

"Then _trust_ me," he said, looking to the ceiling and then shaking his head at her. Mimi pouted again.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Tai. It's just that I don't like that you canceled on me to be with her," she said with a frown. Taichi laughed, kissing her on her lips again. Mimi barely kissed back.

"I promise that tomorrow night I'll be here, and the next morning, You'll be too tired to get up," he stated with a grin, his eyes gleaming. Mimi looked at him, chuckled, and rolled her eyes.

"You're lucky I love you," she said with ridicule. Taichi grinned, and gave her deep kiss, which she gladly returned.

* * *

Sora rested on her bed, changed into a very casual peach dress, which went a little farther than her knees. Her eyes moved to the window when she heard a creak. Of course it was nothing, but after what happened in the cellar, she got very antsy about everything. She closed her eyes, trying to block out all the noises. 

The floor creaked, and sat up, searching her room. It was completely dark, and it unnerved her. Her heart pumped faster, and the image of the blue-eyed sniper came into her mind. She could still hear the arrow whoosh by her. She bit her lip, trying not to let herself get shaken. No one was in her room.

She fell back down and listened again. She couldn't hear anyone anymore. Everyone was sound asleep. Her foot started to shake, as she waited for Taichi. She hoped he would be here soon, the dark was intimidating her.

Her stomach churned when she thought of him. What was he doing to her? She shook her head. She couldn't let him do the same thing Jyou did to her. Taichi was with Mimi, obviously, and she knew that, even though Taichi and Mimi didn't know she knew. He would just hurt her, just like Jyou did. Then she shook her head again. What was she thinking? She didn't even have feelings for Taichi. Everything was just nonsense. She sighed. She heard the window rattle softly again, and she looked.

She jumped when she saw something, but it was only some clouds covering the moon, which gave it an eerie glow. She stared at it, her eyes slowly starting to droop. Even if her day hadn't been the best, it had been tiring. She closed her eyes fully, and let out air through her nose.

A few soft knocks could be heard, and after a couple, Sora woke up. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, forgetting about leaving the castle. When there was another knock, Sora remembered and quickly jumped off the bed. She walked quickly to her door and opened it to reveal grinning Taichi.

"Took you long enough," he whispered, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of her room. Sora raised an eyebrow at his hasty actions, but he didn't take notice and continued to drag her down the stairs quickly.

"Why are we rushing?" Sora asked quietly. Taichi didn't stop till they got to the bottom of the stairs. He bit his lip as some servants and guards walked by. He quickly drew Sora and himself behind the staircase, so they were hiding behind it, in a way. He put her to that back of it, and stuck his head to see where the guards and maids were.

Sora rolled her eyes slightly and smiled.

"Taichi, they're not going to care if we're walking around the castle. We just can't let them see us leave," she stated softly. Taichi turned and shushed her.

"I just don't want anyone to get suspicious or anything," he said, trying to strain his eyes so he could see clearer in the dark. Sora sighed and poked her head out as well. When the coast was clear, he took her hand again, led her to the kitchen, and took her out the back door.

Taichi sighed in relief and Sora just stood there, thinking that their little 'escape' wasn't that nerve racking.

"Well, the worst part is over," he said with a grin. Sora rolled her eyes and smiled. He started to walk towards the horse pen, with Sora walking beside him. She looked at him through the corner of her eye at times, and smiled to herself when she saw his handsome face shine in the moonlight.

Once they reached the horse carriage, Taichi's eyes widened when he saw Miyako and Ken with Koushiro. Koushiro smiled and greeted the both of them. Taichi just glared.

"Koushiro! Why are they here?" he asked with annoyance. Sora scowled at him and hit his arm for being rude. Koushiro sighed as Miyako looked at the floor, blushing. Ken looked at the sky nervously.

"They were going for a midnight stroll first, Taichi. So, they're coming with us," he stated, opening the carriage for all four of them. Taichi huffed and crossed his arms. He didn't want other people with him; going out at night was _his_ time. Sora shrugged slightly and got in the carriage with Miyako and Ken, leaving Taichi there himself. He sighed and reluctantly got on.

Miyako and Ken sat next to each other, feeling awfully embarrassed. Miyako wished Taichi and Sora hadn't come with them, either. This was going to ruin her romantic night with Ken. Not to mention that Taichi shouldn't be going out at night with Sora, when he should be with Mimi.

Sora sat across from the couple, looking out the small window, and when Taichi took a seat next to her, she tensed up a little when she felt the heat radiating off his body. She shook her mind of the feeling, and leaned her head against the window.

An awkward silence followed in the carriage, and all that could be heard was the galloping of the horses, and the creaks of the carriage. Sora looked at everyone, and smiled when she saw Taichi, arms crossed, sleeping softly. His head tilted towards her a little, and a slight snoring sound coming from his mouth. Even though he looked adorable, Sora took this moment to talk with Miyako and Ken. She was glad that they were together. Sora called for Miyako and she looked up.

"Yes, you're highness," she said softly, trying not to wake up cranky Taichi. Sora smiled, forgetting everything that had taken place before.

"I'm sorry for intruding on your night," she stated with a smile. Miyako blushed and tried not to look at Ken, who was blushing as well.

"It's quite alright, you're-"

"Sora," Sora corrected before she called her by her proper title. Miyako blushed and grinned. When the carriage hit a sudden rock, it bounced up with tremendous force, causing

Taichi to wake up, and yelp. Ken tried to hold in a laugh, but Miyako and Sora were already giggling. Taichi rubbed his eyes and glared at them, huffing and turning away. Sora rolled her eyes.

"Lighten up, Taichi," Sora demanded. He made a face.

"Tai," he corrected. Sora rolled her eyes and looked out the window again. Miyako looked between them, and raised an eyebrow. They're friendship was completely odd. She looked at Ken when she felt his eyes on her, and she smiled at him.

The carriage finally came to a halt, and Koushiro popped his head in.  
"Okay, we're in town, near the market place," he stated. Ken and Miyako held hands and left the carriage first. Sora got out second, and was about to follow them when Taichi stopped her.

"We're not going that way," he stated calmly with a smile. Sora scrunched her forehead.

"You have major mood swings," she stated, rolling her eyes. He laughed and grabbed her hand.

"We'll meet you at the bar, Koushiro," he yelled back at him and Sora's eyes widened.

"Wait- a bar?! That's your idea of fun?" she yelled at him. Taichi got there within a few minutes and entered. Drunken men infested the room and Sora stared disgustedly. She looked shocked when she saw a man take hold of a woman's behind, and the woman slapped him with a ferocious grunt. Sora shook her arm free from Taichi.

"I don't know what you're idea of fun is, but I'm leaving," she affirmed, turning around to leave. Taichi laughed and pulled her back.

"Lighten up, Sora," he said with mockery. She glowered at him. He snatched two wooden mugs from a table, and walked towards a barrel. He pushed a knob, and ale poured out from the faucet. Sora scrunched up her face. She didn't want to go outside alone, afraid that somebody might try to kill her again, so she had no choice but to stay here. She saw Taichi take a seat at a small table, while wild, drunken men ran around the room. Sora sighed and sat across from him, and sat up straight, feeling completely out of place even without her tiara.

She sighed. She should have just stayed at the castle. This was just making her feel a little worse. She didn't want to drink, let alone with Taichi. Her face stared at the table, and Taichi could feel her gloominess as he drank. He filled up another mug and pushed it towards her. She looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Try it. It really clears out your mind," he stated, taking another swig. Sora glared.

"All it does is make you act like a madman," she said, pushing the drink back towards him. He smirked and pushed it towards her, again. She grew frustrated.

"You said you were having a bad day, right? Well, this will make a lot better. It will loosen you up so you don't worry about everything else," he said, finishing his drink, and going back for more. She glared at him.

"It's a vile drink that makes men act like pigs!" she yelled at him because he was far away. A few people stared at her, but then went on with their business. She crossed her arms and looked away. Taichi came back, holding another mug full, and his smirk grew.

"Fine, well, I bet you couldn't drink a whole mug if you wanted to," he grinned. Sora rolled her eyes.

"So now we're gambling as well," she stated with disgust. He smiled to himself and brought his legs to the table, his boots shining brightly.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to. You're too…proper," he stated calmly. Sora gave defiant stare, grabbing the mug and gulping it all down. He was right, it really did clear you're mind.

* * *

Koushiro walked in the bar a half and hour later, after telling a few guards within the town to watch the carriage. He looked around for Taichi and Sora, and couldn't find them at all. He started to walk further in, and found Sora gulping down a mug of ale as Taichi cheered on, a little woozy himself. Sora finished it, and laughed nonstop, Taichi following her as well. His eyes grew wide. Taichi wasn't supposed to get _Sora_ drunk. 

Koushiro walked up to them as quickly as he could and stood in front of Taichi, his eyes wide.

"You got her drunk?!" he asked incredulously. Taichi stared at him for a while and laughed.

"Don't worry, Koushiro, I'm not drunk. You know that I know my limit," he stated, nodding his head approvingly to himself. Koushiro glared.

"Not you! Sora! Taichi, what were you thinking?" he yelled at him, grabbing his read hair. Taichi raised an eyebrow and looked at the chair across from him, but couldn't see Sora. He panicked.

"Where did she go?!" he screamed at Koushiro. Koushiro shook his head and looked frantically around the bar. Taichi found her dancing with a drunken old man. She laughed and whooped, totally wasted. His eyes widened, getting out of his little phase.

"Oh my god, what have I done?" he stated biting his lip. Koushiro sighed, and glared at Taichi.

"How many drinks did she have?!" he asked. Taichi looked up and tried to count and remember. He was a little woozy himself.

"I-I don't know. Maybe five or six," he stated and then his eyes widened. He hit himself in the head continuously, grunting. Koushiro looked at him weirdly.

"Taichi, trying to dumb yourself down isn't going to help…" he trailed. Taichi glared at the red-headed boy.

"I shouldn't have let her have so many drinks! I'm dead if anyone finds out," he stated, running towards Sora and the drunken man. Taichi pulled her away, and shooed the man away. Sora yelled in glee, and grabbed Taichi's hand to dance.

"Sora! Calm down, come on, we're leaving," he shouted to her over the noise of people. Sora's eyes widened and she grinned, drunkenly.

"I know you! Taichi, I missed you!" she stated, hugging him around the waist like a little girl. Taichi blushed and pulled her off him. He dragged her out of the bar. She whined and complained, but Taichi was able to walk out with Sora, and with Koushiro following close behind. Koushiro looked at Taichi with pity.

"Try to keep her in one spot. I'm going to find Ken and Miyako, and bring the carriage over here, okay?" Taichi nodded, holding Sora's arm as she tried to run away. Koushiro left, and Taichi turned to Sora, who was trying to break free from his hold.

"Let me go! I-I want to go on those hills!" she screeched, pointing to the hills a few feet in front of the bar. Taichi sighed, and held her shoulders.

"Sora, I'm not letting you-" Sora took this chance to break away and run up the hills, her dress flapping behind her. Taichi sighed and called for her, while running after her.

Sora laughed hysterically and spun around once she got to the top of the hill. Taichi stopped and just stared at her. She looked so beautiful with the moon shining on her, and with the wet grass shining, she looked as if she were flying. He bit his lip, and slowly started to walk up to her.

Sora fell to the ground, sighing contently, and sprawled herself on the grass. She stared up at the sky and when Taichi's head got in the way, she groaned.

"Come on, Tai. Lay down with me!" she exclaimed. He sighed.

"Sora, we have to wait for the carriage, okay? Come on," he stated, reaching down to help her up, but she only pulled him down. He fell on top of her and blushed madly, but Sora just giggled and pushed him to the side.

For a while, they stayed that way. Both were just lying beside each other on the cool grass. Taichi didn't know what to do. He couldn't get her to move. Sora grinned.

"And to think I almost got killed today! I'm so glad I lived, Taichi! This is _so_ much fun," she said with drunken glee, throwing her arms behind her. Taichi turned his head towards her quickly, and questioned her.

"What do you mean?" he asked softly, trying to get something out of her drunken self. Sora grinned and spread her hands and legs apart slightly, grinning to the sky like a fool. She was getting a little groggy, though, Taichi noticed.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing…" she said, moving around restlessly. Taichi stopped her, and turned her to her side so she would look at him.

"How did you almost get killed, Sora?" he asked, gazing deeply at her ruby eyes, which were hazed with drunkenness. She giggled gleefully, and played with Taichi's hair.

"W-while I was in the cellar…some man tried to, you know, shoot me with an arrow, and I screamed, then I ducked!" she exclaimed, sitting up and pulling Taichi up with her. He grabbed her arms and forced her to look at her.

"Sora, why didn't you tell anyone?" he asked forcefully. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"But I told Jyou!" she exclaimed, taking Taichi by the shoulders then letting go and falling back to the ground. Taichi pulled her back up and embraced her. She had no idea what he was doing at the moment and giggled.

"Sora, I promise that as long as I'm around with you, I will _never_ let anyone hurt you," he declared. He ran his fingers through her hair and hugged her harder. Sora got a little serious, and it seemed that the alcohol was slowly wearing off, but she was still delirious. She rested her head on his shoulder, but her eyes snapped open when she saw the blurry image of Jyou in her mind. She pushed him back and rested back down on the grass. She looked at the stars and grinned.

"I hate him." Taichi looked at her with confusion. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to the grass. Taichi sighed.

"Who?" he asked her. Sora stretched out and let out a small burp. It made her laugh at herself hysterically.

"J-Jyou" she stated in between her laughs, turning over and putting an arm around Taichi's waist. He blushed again, and stared at her.

"Why do you hate him?" Sora wrinkled her nose, and brought herself closer to him.

"Because he broke my heart; because he told me that he was in love with me, and then w-went of to get married to Jun because of an arranged marriage between my family and the Motomiyas," she slurred while saying. Taichi listened intently while looking towards the sky.

"Jyou was our Kingdom's Duke, and my parents wanted him to marry Jun to join the two kingdoms, and you know, stop all the suffering, for the Motomiya's were rich!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air frantically.

"A while before that, he told me he had feelings for me, and before I knew it, he was off to get married! He thought I didn't love him back, so when he came to visit a few-no, a lot of months later, he told me that he loved Jun, and-"

"And you did have the same feelings as he did before," Taichi finished for her, looking at her intensely. Sora offered a drunken grin.

"You got it!" she screamed. Taichi tried to calm her down, finally understanding why today upset her. Jyou coming and announcing that Jun was pregnant mustn't have been easy for her at all. And then to top it all off, she had almost gotten killed. He needed to talk to his father about that.

Taichi sighed.

"It's okay to be angry, Sora; but you don't hate him. You'll find someone else," Taichi told her, grinning when he thought of Mimi. Sora burst out laughing again. He hushed her down and questioned her about what was funny. Sora rolled her eyes greatly.

"Taichi, not all of us are as lucky as you are! You're a prince!" Sora yelled, then whooping a little more. Taichi shushed her down again and she giggled.

"So, you have Mimi, and who do I have? No one! I'll be alone forever! But then there's our arranged marriage. But how can that happen when you're with Mimi! Very curious," Sora babbled, putting a finger to her chin, and narrowing her eyes playfully. Taichi's eyes widened and he sat up abruptly.

"What are you talking about?!" he stated quite loudly, out of nervousness. Sora laughed and rolled along the grass.

"Taichi and Mimi are in love! Taichi and Mimi are in love!" she sang. Taichi bent down and covered her mouth. He glared at her.

"How did you find out, Sora?" he whispered. Sora grinned at him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him to her.

"I have a keen eye, Taichi. I can see everything," she whispered sluggishly into his ear. He looked at her and pulled her up. She gave a small 'whee' while doing so.

"Sora, look at me," he ordered, while moving Sora's limp, drunken head so she was looking straight at him.

"Yes sir!"

"You _cannot_ tell anyone about me and Mimi, okay?" he asked. She giggled and he shook her softly for a response. She brought her finger to her mouth and laughed.

"I-I promise," she stated, putting her right hand over her heart, and leaning forward on Taichi. He sighed, completely frustrated. He did not like Sora when she was drunk, but at least he knew what she knew.

Sora laughed for a while longer, than started to get up. Taichi followed her lead, and helped to steady her. Taichi heard someone calling his name, and he looked to the bottom of the hill, near the bar, to see Koushiro waving for him to come down. He sighed again.

Sora grinned at him, and looked up at the sky. Suddenly, a wave nausea hit her, and she covered her mouth. Taichi looked back at her and held on to Sora as she threw up all over the grass. He looked at her worriedly, and bent down to her. He pulled back some of her hair as she gagged. She coughed over and over again, and then finally, she stopped. Tears had surrounded her eyes. She was breathing heavily. Taichi rubbed her back softly, and she fell against him, exhausted and tired.

"Sora, can you walk?" he asked, feeling terribly guilty about doing something to her for the second time today. She responded with a groan, and shut her eyes slowly. He took that as a no, and picked her up, placing one arm under her legs, and the other holding her upper body. She let her head fall lazily on his chest, and his heartbeat lulled her to sleep.

Taichi slowly walked down the hill, trying not to fall, or drop Sora. He felt awful again. Not to mention that he had a small headache as well. Once he reached the bottom, Koushiro looked worriedly at the sleeping Sora in his arms.

"What happened, Taichi? What did you do?!" Koushiro yelled. Taichi winced.

"I got her drunk, Koushiro, but you knew that. She just ran up the hill, and I went chasing after her. We talked for a while and she threw up," he stated with a glare. Koushiro looked at him with pity.

"Well, then lets get her back to the castle quickly," he said, walking back to the carriage he brought over. Miyako and Ken were sitting against it, holding hands and talking. Miyako had gotten upset that Koushiro interrupted them just when he was about to kiss her. But when Miyako saw the unconscious Sora in Taichi's arms, she let go of Ken's arm and ran to her aid.

"What happened to the princess?" she asked, placing her palm on Sora's forehead. Taichi stared, and told her to get in the carriage, along with Ken. When they were seated, He got in, sitting Sora down, and then he sat down next to her. She was still unconscious and slowly her head fell onto her shoulder. He heard her groan, though. Taichi sighed.

"Look. Sora got a little drunk in the bar, and now she's just not feeling well. But none of this gets told to anyone. Only Sora can tell someone if she wants," he stated, placing an arm around her thin waist. Miyako looked at her worriedly and nodded. Ken agreed as well.

Koushiro tried to ride them back to the castle as quickly as he could, but they stopped twice so Sora could throw up outside. The whole time, Taichi was by her side, and he never left.

* * *

Once they got to the castle, Koushiro told everyone to enter though the kitchen and he would put the carriage back. Taichi carried Sora in, and brought her to her chambers. Miyako waved goodbye to Ken as he went to the guard's quarters. She followed Taichi to Sora's room, and watched him place her on her bed. He sighed. 

"Miyako, I'm going to look after her tonight. You can go to bed," he stated, pulling a chair to the bed, and watching Sora. Miyako shook her head.

"No…you're highness. You should get some sleep, and I'll watch over her. This way no one will be suspicious of anything," she explained, walking up next to him. Taichi looked at her tiredly and shook his head.

"No, Miyako. I put her in this mess, and I'm not going to leave until she's out of it," he declared. Miyako sighed and kneeled in front of him.

"All you can do is look at her, you're majesty. She still needs to be changed into her nightdress, then she has have a compress on her at all times to make sure that she doesn't have a bad headache when she wakes up. I know what to do, so please leave and let me stay." Taichi shook his head.

"No! I just can't-"

"What if I woke Mimi up and we both watched her?" Taichi bit his lip. He had forgotten that she knew that he and Mimi were together. Now Sora was added on that list as well.

"Would that make you feel better?" she asked softly. Taichi sighed.

"I'd hate to wake her up, but I trust her…" he said softly. Miyako smiled at him.

"Good, then you wait here, you're highness, and I'll wake her up and bring her here," Miyako stated. Taichi sighed as she leaved the room, looked at Sora as she moved her hands to her head, moaning. He leaned in closer to her and ran his fingers through her hair. It was his fault that this had happened. She opened her eyes, and smiled when she realized it was Taichi. He smiled back as well.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. She looked at him, confused. He knew that she was lost because she still had some alcohol in her. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"You better feel a lot better in the morning," he stated softly. Sora chuckled softly and looked at him intensely.

"Don't worry about me…" she said as quietly as a mouse, and then trailed off, closing her eyes and falling asleep. Mimi and Miyako walked in. Mimi yawned and looked at Taichi groggily.

"This better be good," she said with a croak. Taichi got up and hugged her.

"Can you and Miyako just watch over Sora tonight?" he asked her softly. Miyako left them alone, and walked over to Sora.

"Why, what's wrong?" she asked quietly, looking at Sora.

"She kind of got drunk," Taichi stated, and smiled sheepishly. Mimi frowned.

"Why would she get drunk?" Mimi asked, rubbing her eyes. Taichi laughed and kissed her softly.

"Just take care of her for me, please?" he asked with puppy eyes. Mimi rolled her eyes and nodded her head. He grinned and spun her around.

"Thank you so much! I love you both," he exclaimed quietly as he left the room. He closed the door softly behind them, but bit his lip when he remembered that he had to tell Mimi that Sora knew about them. He sighed. It would just have to wait until morning.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: I know where I want to go with this story, but I'm losing interest. I don't know. Well here's chapter 7, hope my faithful readers enjoy. Please review… didn't get that many reviews on the last chapter so I'm guessing not many people liked it. This one isn't quite as long.

And to SavannahX, my great reviewer, I didn't really notice the whole similarity between Jyou, Jun, and Sora, and Taichi, Mimi, and Sora. Haha. That wasn't really a hint, but I guess it could be.

* * *

The sun shined through the window near Sora's bed and she cringed. She rested limply on her bed, with her night clothes still on. Soon after, the horns started to sound for the next day, and she groaned, shielding her eyes from the sun, and used her pillow to block out the sound. 

Miyako quickly went to shut the curtains, feeling awful for opening them in the first place.

"Sorry, princess. Are you feeling a little better?" she asked softly, moving some hair out of Sora's face. Sora didn't respond, feeling a wave of nausea take over. She cringed, and reached for the bucket, throwing up in it for the millionth time. Miyako quickly ran to get some towels, and Sora groaned. How could she keep throwing up when there wasn't anything in her stomach?

Miyako walked into the large bathroom located in Sora's chambers and sighed. Sora wasn't feeling well at all. How was she going to keep this a secret from everyone in the castle with her constant vomiting?

Mimi stirred slightly on the small couch in another room, still part of Sora's chambers. Miyako came out with some wet towels and smiled as Mimi got up and stretched. Mimi grinned in response. The whole night, the two of them watched Sora, helping her change into her night clothes, and then cleaning out various buckets that she had thrown up in. When she slept, the two girls did as well, until they heard Sora throwing up again, or groaning out of discomfort.

"Is she doing alright?" Mimi asked quietly, getting up and grabbing a few towels out of Miyako's hand. Miyako pursed her lips and shook her head softly. They walked up to the bed, and found Sora sleeping again. Miyako placed some towels on her forehead and pulled the covers over Sora.

"She hasn't gotten better, but she hasn't gotten worse." Mimi sighed.

"That's a good sign, I guess," she replied to Miyako. Mimi looked at her pale face and sighed again.

"We have to get her ready. The horns sounded, and soon people are going to wonder why Sora hasn't come downstairs yet."

Miyako nodded.

"Let's let her rest for a few more minutes, though." Mimi agreed and started to tidy up the bedroom. Miyako nodded and started to help. A knock on the door made both the girls jump. Mimi bit her lip, and Miyako looked alarmed.

"Maybe it's just Taichi," Mimi whispered softly. How were they going to explain Sora's condition to someone else? Miyako nodded. She opened the door fully, but her eyes widened when she saw Kari standing there, smiling softly.

"Good morn-" she was cut off by the door closing in her face. Kari raised an eyebrow, and knocked again.

Mimi threw the towels off Sora's forehead, and Miyako raced to hide the bucket full of things that were once in Sora's stomach.

"C-coming!" Mimi chirped softly, trying not to kill Sora's head by being too loud. Mimi fixed her blankets again, and pulled them up a little more, so Kari couldn't see her pallid face. Mimi waited for Miyako to hide the bucket, and when she flew in, almost tripping on the chair in front of Sora's bed, Mimi rushed and opened the door for Kari.

Kari had both her eyebrows raised at this time, and stared at the two, out of breath girls. Mimi and Miyako grinned like monkeys, trying not to look suspicious, but failing miserably.

"What was that all about? And why are both of you in Sora's room?" she asked in a normal voice. On impulse, both girls hushed Kari. Kari stepped into the room.

"What is wrong with you two?" she asked in a normal voice again, only to have both girls run up to her, and shush her again. Miyako sighed.

"Kari, Sora's still sleeping," she said a matter-of-factly. Kari let out and 'oh' and sealed her mouth, looking at Sora's barely visible face. Mimi's sweat dropped. Maybe she had pulled the covers up too much. Kari was about to walk up to her, but Mimi stopped her.

"She's just very tired, Kari," Mimi said squeakily. Miyako nodded profusely causing her glasses to slide down her nose. Kari shrugged, ignoring their odd behavior. As much as she wanted to find out what they were hiding, she just wasn't in the mood to squeeze it out of them.

"We were in her room because Queen Takenouchi just asked us downstairs to see if she was okay…" Miyako added. Kari stood up straighter.

"And you both went downstairs in you're night clothes?" she asked suspiciously. Mimi slightly glared at Miyako.

"Yes…Good morning!" Miyako tried to cover up. Kari sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Well I'm quite hungry, would you two like to get changed and go downstairs with me?" she asked softly. Miyako and Mimi looked at each other, then turned back to Kari and grinned.

"Of course," they chirped. Kari sighed with a smile, rolled her eyes again, and led the girls out of the room. As they walked out of Sora's chambers, Taichi greeted them in the hallway, walking towards Sora's chambers. Seeing Miyako and Mimi, without thinking, he started to speak.

"Is Sora al-"

"In her room? Yes she is!" Mimi finished for him loudly, giving him a slight nod in Kari's direction, telling him to keep his mouth shut. Kari looked up and sighed, frustrated.

"What is going on?" she asked rather loudly, obviously not in a good mood. It was everyone else's turn to raise an eyebrow. Miyako bit her lip.

"Why don't we get downstairs, Kari? I can smell breakfast from here!" Miyako stated grabbing Kari's arm, and dragging her downstairs. Kari protested, wanting to know what was going on, her pale yellow dress dragging. Miyako pulled her towards the servants' quarters so she could change.

Taichi sighed, and scratched his back.

"I forgot that no one else knew," he said with a grin. Mimi rolled her eyes and poked him in the chest.

"And that's why no one tells you anything. You can't keep that goofy mouth of yours shut," she stated, looking around for anyone, and then pulling him into a secluded hallway near Sora's chambers.

"Well, it's not my fault that-" she cut him off by kissing him perfectly on the lips. He gladly kissed back, wrapping his arms around her small waist. Mimi enveloped her arms around his neck and pulled away.

"I still missed you last night," she stated. Taichi grinned.

"Of course you did."

"Did you miss me, as well?"

"Of course I did," he said with a grin.

"Then why didn't you stay in Sora's chambers _with_ me?"

"Because I was tired." Mimi rolled her eyes, pulled away, and hit him in the head. Taichi remembered what he had to tell her.

"Mimi…Sora knows about _us_," he stated quietly. Mimi's eyes widened and Taichi knew she would start to squeal so he pressed his hand against her mouth. He hushed her. Mimi pushed his arm away.

"Taichi, she can tell everyone about us!" she shrieked. Taichi rolled his eyes.

"Do you honestly believe she's going to tell someone? Sora would never do that. And I made her promise me yesterday that she wouldn't tell anyone," he stated. Mimi looked at the ground.

"Everyday, someone new finds out about us, Tai. I'm just scared," she said softly. He sighed.

Taichi chuckled, grabbed her elbows, and pulled her back to him. He kissed her again, deeply, and pulled away, leaving Mimi in a daze. She leaned back for more, but he chuckled and winked at her, leaving her with her heart racing in the hallway, forgetting about everything he had just told her.

* * *

Sora rolled around, trying to get her throbbing head to stop pounding. All she remembered was Taichi and the bar, and she swore that she would never drink again. Not if she had to go through all this pain. 

She rested on her back, bringing her hands up to her head, and rubbing her temples to get rid of the intense pain. She was so sore.

"Even though you told me not to, I couldn't help but worry about you all night," a voice stated from the doorway. Sora didn't have to look up to know who it was. She was too weak to do so, anyway.

"Go away…I'm really not in the mood to talk to anyone right now," she ordered. Taichi smiled, ignoring her comment, walking up to her bed, and sitting right next to her waist. Sora glared.

"I know your mind doesn't work properly, Taichi, but do your ears have a problem, as well?" she asked groggily. Taichi scoffed, and grinned.

"I wouldn't say anything, Ms. Takenouchi, you told me quite a lot yesterday," he stated, leaning towards her face. She glared at him again, this time there was more sadness in it. She had no idea what happened yesterday. She had faint memories, but nothing definite. She pushed him slightly to get him off her bed. Taichi laughed out loud and that made Sora's head pound even more.

Taichi stopped when he saw her lay back down, holding her head, and squeezing her eyes. He could see some tears under her eyelashes. Taichi took her hands away from her head, and rubbed her temples softly. Sora looked up into his soft, brown eyes, and he bit the corner of his mouth. He hated when she stared at him.

"This is why I don't drink too much. The pain is unbearable," he stated obviously. Sora wanted to say 'well, it's your fault this happened', but the way Taichi's fingers worked on her head was soothing. Her heart pumped loudly. How did he make her feel this way? She let her eyes close, and let her senses drain out.

She could feel one of his thighs through the blanket, grazing her waist. His chest was close to hers, and his fingers worked magic on her aching head. Shivers ran down her spine when she felt his breath on her. He was breathing normally, but the sensations made her stomach churn.

When she felt some of his warm breath on her chest, she opened her eyes. She noticed that her blanket wasn't covering part of her stomach and up. All that was covering her was her nightdress, and she knew it was a see-through white. She blushed and sat up quietly. Taichi pulled his hands away, and raised an eyebrow as she pulled the covers over her whole body, except her head. He chuckled when he figured out the reason.

"I-I think you should take your leave now, Taichi," she stated softly. Taichi smiled, and moved even closer to her. She flinched embarrassedly. Her nightgown was completely transparent, and she was sure Taichi had seen _everything._

"Stop being so self-conscious," he told her. Sora blushed, tightening her grip on her sheets.

"It's not that…it's just not lady-like to let a man see her in her night-" Sora babbled but stopped when Taichi's face was dangerously close to hers. Her heart raced. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to feel his lips on hers. She forgot about the pain, and noticed what was in front of her…who was in front of her.

Taichi smiled and moved some hair out of her face.

"Stop being self-conscious. You're…beautiful," he whispered, bringing his forehead to hers, pushing some of her hair behind her ear. Sora's breathing got a little faster, and she closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her.

Taichi smiled, and got up quietly. Sora's eyes shot open and she looked up, disappointed.

"Any man would be lucky to have you," he stated softly. Sora looked at her sheets and a surprising thought ran through her. 'I don't want just any man... I want you'. She shook her head, thinking it was the ale acting up.

"And any _man_ who broke your heart isn't worth your time," he declared, walking towards the door. Sora tried to talk, but her nerves were going crazy. She didn't blab about Jyou, did she? Before he left, she spoke in a crackly voice.

"I didn't tell you about…um- Jyou, did I?" she asked quickly. Taichi looked over his shoulder to her and smiled.

"That and more."

Sora looked at her sheets, and when Taichi left the door, she screamed out of frustration, but regretted it when she noticed the horrible pounding in her head again. At least the nausea was practically gone. She groaned and pulled the covers over her head completely.

* * *

Daisuke frowned and looked down at his boots as Kari and Miyako walked down the stairs. He quickly tried to get out of sight, but he knew Kari had seen him. What was he thinking? He shouldn't have done that to her. It was foolish. 

Daisuke paced back of the castle, towards the library. He stopped when he saw Koushiro reading a book, leaning against the wall. He smiled softly and stood in front of him. Koushiro looked up slightly and smiled.

"Hello prince Daisuke. Is there anything you need?" he asked politely, getting up from the floor. Daisuke grinned at the older boy.

"No need to be so formal, Koushiro," he stated, punching Koushiro's shoulder playfully. Koushiro winced at the boy's strength and chuckled nervously, rubbing his shoulder.

"Of course," he said, trying to walk away, but Daisuke stopped him, and Koushiro grinned at another face joining them.

"Good morning, princess!" Koushiro said happily. Sora walked towards the two of them, smiling weakly. Her bright yellow dress only brought out the red in her hair, but the paleness of her face as well. Daisuke smiled at her.

"Good morning…" Sora replied, stopping in front of the boys. Koushiro looked at Daisuke, and tried to think of something to get him to leave. He wanted to talk to Sora about last night.

"Daisuke, I believe your father was calling for you a while ago," he stated. Daisuke stared at Koushiro, and rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to leave. Did Koushiro actually believe that he was that stupid?

"I don't think so," Daisuke stated with a smile, punching Koushiro in the shoulder again. Koushiro fought the urge to glare. Sora chuckled softly.

"Well, I was headed towards the library, if any of you would like to join me, you're more than welcome," she said while walking. Her voice sounded exhausted, but her expression was still the same. Koushiro grinned, ready to follow, but Daisuke ran up to Sora and linked his arm with hers.

"After you," Daisuke offered, suddenly becoming a gentleman. Sora laughed and walked in. Koushiro grumbled and followed quietly.

* * *

Taichi quietly walked into the Meeting Room, where his father and all the other kings went over plans. His father was talking feverishly to one of the castle guards, and the other kings listened intently. When he heard Taichi walk in, King Yagami paused and looked at his son. 

"What is it, Taichi?" he asked with a grump. Taichi bit his lip and looked his father in the eye. The last time they spoke to each other, it hadn't been very pleasant.

"Could I talk to you in private for a second, father?" Taichi asked softly, looking up with caution. King Yagami sighed and excused himself. He led Taichi outside of the Meeting Room and closed the large door.

"What's wrong?" Taichi looked at the floor and then up at his father again.

"Why wasn't I told of the attack on Sora?" he asked softly. Sora had told him so much yesterday that it was hard to keep track. King Yagami looked at him curiously.

"It's none of your business, Tai," he stated, using his nickname for the first time in a while. Taichi glared.

"Of course it is! Sora could have been seriously hurt," he stated, looking away from his father. King Yagami smiled.

"So you don't dislike Sora? I knew you would like her," he stated proudly. He put an arm around Taichi, and Taichi raised an eyebrow. Of course he liked Sora as a friend.

"Stop trying to change the subject! Father, if you believe that I'm old enough to get married and rule, then I want to know what is happening. The attacker could have just as easily tried to hurt Kari or Mi-" he cut himself off. That was a close one. His father smiled, not noticing Taichi's slip up.

"You're finally learning responsibility, Taichi. That makes me proud," King Yagami declared, pulling his son into a crushing embrace. Taichi blushed, not expecting that.

"Father…who attacked Sora?" he asked softly, still in the embrace. King Yagami pulled away and sighed.

"An Ishida sniper somehow got through the castle defenses. Sora was in the cellar and a vulnerable target. He shot through the small window, but missed Sora. The arrow had the small Ishida symbol on it…" King Yagami said quietly. Taichi got infuriated.

"What are we going to do about it?" Taichi asked loudly. King Yagami scolded and hushed him down.

"There's nothing we can do now, Tai. Until our army grows, we can't do anything but build up our defenses," he explained. Taichi glared and stepped back.

"That's not enough!" The king bit his lip and grabbed Taichi's shoulder.

"I know, Taichi, but there's nothing we can do as of now. Until you and Sora get married, there's nothing we can do. We need their land and troops," he stated. Taichi's eyes lost his anger and became filled with dread. Taichi didn't say anything.

"I know you don't want to, Taichi. But you said so yourself. Do you want Kari to get attacked next- or your mother" he asked softly, putting both hands on his shoulders. Taichi didn't respond. He looked at the floor. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't. He couldn't do that to Mimi.

Taichi pulled away, turned around and started walking away from his father.

"It's all up to you now, Taichi…" King Yagami said after him. Taichi closed his eyes, and rushed to get away.

* * *

Kari sat in her chambers quietly. Daisuke still hadn't spoken to her. In fact…she thought that he was completely avoiding her. Kari sighed and lied back on her bed. Hours ago, he was lying right there next to her. She slowly brought her fingers to her lips and closed her eyes, trying to remember their kiss. Her stomach fluttered. 

She shot up instantly. She didn't have feelings for Daisuke, did she? Kari bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. She didn't. She couldn't. A knock on the door made her jump. Hoping it was Daisuke, she called for the person to come in.

Her heart dropped.

Miyako walked in with a grin and sat next to Kari.

"I've got the perfect idea!" she stated cheerfully. Kari looked at her softly and smiled.

"About what?" Miyako grinned.

"How about we go to the market place later today? Just me and you?" Miyako said. She knew that something was bothering Kari, and it was probably about the war again. Kari looked at the ground and her eyes widened. She was supposed to meet Iori Takada this afternoon at the market place. She had totally forgotten.

"That sounds like a great idea! But why don't we bring Ken with us?" Kari suggested. Miyako raised an eyebrow.

"Why? I thought maybe we could spend time to-" Kari shook her head.

"No, no! Bring Ken with you. Spend some quality time with him," she said desperately. She needed to meet Iori alone. Miyako didn't want to tell Kari that she had already spent time with him last night, but gave in.

"…okay, but we're going, right?" she asked. Kari grinned and nodded. Miyako raised both eyebrows at the fake looking smile.

"Kari…what's going on?" she questioned. Kari bit her lip and looked at the ground. She should tell Miyako.

"Daisuke…he's changed, Miyako. Everything's changing, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm scared," she whispered quietly, bringing her legs to her chest. Miyako looked at her sympathetically. Kari was sensitive.

"Everything changes, Kari. And even though you might not like it, sometimes it's for the better," Miyako explained, rubbing Kari's back. There was a long silence.

"He kissed me, Miyako," Kari stated softly. Miyako's eyes widened and her mouth dropped. Kari continued.

"His feelings for me have changed. He's become more…mature. I don't like it," she said, shoving her head in her hands. Miyako bit the insides of her mouth.

"Accept it, Kari. That's the only way to get through it…"

"I can't! Everything's changing, Miyako! It's because of this war!" Kari yelled, getting up and moving towards the door, ready to leave. Miyako stopped her and pulled her into an embrace.

"It's not only because of the war, Kari. People grow up…they learn from their mistakes. Change isn't a bad thing…" Kari shook her head and pulled away, wiping away her tears.

"It is when you lose everything you love…"

* * *

Sora sighed as the morning ended. The pain was finally releasing, and she could feel her body ache even more. Funny. Even though the pain was gone, she was still sore. She let out a long sigh and rested her head on her folded arms, resting on the table. Daisuke played around with a button that fell from his shirt. He threw it up and down, catching it. Why the hell did he agree to come to the _library?_ Koushiro grinned, laughing at some part in the book he was reading, and Daisuke made a disgusted face. 

"How can you have fun while reading a damn book?" he asked, throwing his button back into the air and catching it. He soon got bored with doing that so he deliberately put it on his nose, trying to balance it. Koushiro looked up and rolled his eyes and the half-witted boy.

"At least I'm not sitting here looking like an oaf, you're highness," he said with a smirk. Sora lifted her head and laughed at the comment. Daisuke glared, letting the button drop.

"At least I don't waste away in a library when I could be outside, riding my horse, or practicing with my sword, or-"

"Then stop preaching to me, and go outside," Koushiro stated, looking through his book nonchalantly.

Daisuke glared again and slouched in his seat at the table. He hated being here, but at least this way, he wouldn't run into Kari.

Daisuke heard Sora groan and tilt her head sideways, squeezing her eyes. She had spoken too soon when she had said all her pain was gone.

"All you alright?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow. Koushiro looked up and bit his lip.

"I'm fine. I just have a bit of a headache," she explained, letting some of her ginger bangs fall into her face. Koushiro knew she was lying, but blushed when he saw how beautiful she looked. He hated how he every girl made him blush.

"Would you like t-to go back to your chambers, princess?" he asked with a slight stutter. Sora shook her head, and sat up straight.

"It's a lot quieter in here," she stated.

"Sora?" another voice spoke. Sora's heart lurched. Just when she thought her headache couldn't get worse.

Jyou walked in with Jun at his side. They were taking a look around the castle together. Sora didn't smile, and looked at the book in front of her.

Daisuke grinned, finally someone he could talk with…well talk to a little, at least.

"Jyou! Brother, entertain me," Daisuke said while turning in his chair. Jyou laughed, occupying the chair next to Sora and Jun taking a seat next to her husband gleefully. Sora never looked away from her book. Jyou noticed her odd behavior.

"Sora…are you alright?" he asked her, his eyes full of his normal concern. Sora bit her lip, looked at him, and then back at her book.

"Yes, I just have a slight headache," she answered. Jyou still looked concerned.

"You should go lie down, then. Reading will only make your headache worse," he stated wisely. Sora hated how he cared so much. She sat up straighter, like it was possible.

"I'm fine…" she replied. Jun looked at Sora and smiled.

"Sora, can you come with me for a second?" she asked sweetly with her usual perk. Sora didn't answer. Daisuke scoffed.

"No one wants to be with you, Jun" he stated, folding his arms at his chest and closing his eyes. Jun glared and rolled her eyes. Koushiro read his book quietly, looking up every once in a while. Sora sighed to herself.

"Of course," she answered, standing up. Jun grinned, smirked at Daisuke, and took Sora's hand. Sora looked to the floor as Jun led her upstairs. Jun and Jyou's chambers were quite big, and located two doors down from Taichi's chambers. As they walked by Taichi's door, her heart lurched. She bit her lip and shook off the feeling.

Jun led her in, closed the door and giggled. She unexpectedly took Sora into a hug, and jumped up and down.

"I haven't seen you in so long! How have you been?" she asked as if they were best friends. Sora felt awkward and sat on their bed. It just made her feel more awkward to know that this is where to two love-birds slept.

"I-I've been well, thank you…" she responded politely. Jun grinned and took a seat next to Sora. Sora then noticed the slight, rounded bulge in Jun's stomach.

"How are you feeling, with the baby?" Sora asked with a sincere smile. She loved children. Jun grinned and placed a hand on her stomach.

"Well, I'm fine, and I'm sure this little one is, as well!" Jun explained. Sora noticed that she was very happy…Jyou had made her very happy. It made Sora a little angry, but she thought about what Taichi had said in the morning: "Any _man_ who broke your heart isn't worth your time."

"Excited about the marriage?" she asked eagerly. Man-crazy Jun loved to gossip. Sora didn't want to think about the marriage because she knew it wasn't going to happen, but she couldn't tell Jun that.

"Well…" Sora dragged, not knowing what to say. Jun's eyes widened, jumping to a conclusion.

"You don't want to marry him?" she asked incredulously. Sora rolled her eyes to herself. 'It's the other way around,' Sora thought.

"It's not that… Nothing's official yet so we don't know if the marriage is going to take place," Sora said softly, playing with her hands. Jun giggled.

"Don't worry, Sora. The marriage will take place! Not to mention that you and Taichi look absolutely perfect together, so why shouldn't it take place?" Jun asked, grinning. Sora bit the insides of her mouth. She hated this topic. Then she started to wonder if she and Taichi did look perfect together. That made her blush.

"Anyway, I have a gift for you!" Jun squealed, getting up off the bed, and rummaging through the big closet where all their belongings were neatly piled. She pulled out bright red evening gown, made out of velvet and little rhinestones along the neckline. Jun brought it over, and pulled Sora up, handing the dress to Sora.

"I-I can't accept this, Jun. It looks very expensive and-" Jun clicked her tongue.

"Don't worry about it! It's an early marriage gift and Jyou helped me choose it, as well. He knows you best," Jun said with a smile. Sora looked to the floor. She couldn't accept it now because the marriage wasn't going to take place. Taichi loved Mimi.

"I was thinking that you should wear it the _night_ of your wedding," Jun beamed and Sora's blush deepened. Now she couldn't get the idea out of her mind. Taichi and her on their wedding night sprawled over his bed. She shivered and she remembered how close he was to her this morning.

"Um- I don't think that's necessary, but I'll definitely wear it before the wedding," Sora said, hating that she had spoken as if there was going to be a wedding. Jun grinned and hugged her gleefully.

"That's great!"

* * *

Kari sighed in the carriage. She noticed that it smelled putrid, but her mind kept going back and forth. She was excited about meeting Iori Takada again, but her mind kept flowing back to Daisuke. She also had to find a way to drift apart from Miyako and Ken. It was Ken's job to watch her, but maybe Miyako would distract him. 

"Where do you want to go first, Kari?" Miyako asked with a smile. Ken smiled at her as well. Kari wanted to go to the bread salesman where she was supposed to meet Iori.

"Umm- anywhere I guess," she said quietly, looking out the window. Miyako sighed and looked at the ground. This wasn't working. When they arrived, Kari was the first to get off the carriage without Ken's help. Miyako got a little irritated with her behavior.

Kari led the group to a huge crowd in the center of the market place, moving deeper in. She could hear Miyako and Ken shouting for her the slow down, but she kept going. Soon, she ran, pushing people in the crowd and losing Miyako and Ken. She smiled at how easy that was.

She got out of the crowd and when she made sure that nobody was around, she smiled and tried to find the bread salesman. She walked around looking everywhere, but couldn't find it. A hand touched her shoulder and she hoped it wasn't Ken, but she turned to see the blue eyes of Iori.

"Iori!" she exclaimed, grinning. Takeru laughed, going along with the whole Iori thing. He had totally forgotten that he had given a fake name so she wouldn't find out that he was an Ishida. He looked her over, noticing that she changed into casual clothes and had taken off her crown.

"I'm glad you came, you're highness," he stated, kissing her hand. She blushed and giggled.

"I wouldn't miss this. I needed to leave that stuffy castle anyway," she said, smiling at the boy. She had no idea why, but she felt comfortable around him. As if she'd known him before.

"I know a quieter place we can talk," he said with a grin, "would you like to go there?"

Kari hesitated. She knew she shouldn't be going off with a stranger, but there was something different about this boy. She nodded, following him to their destination. He brought her towards an open plain, the market place just a couple of feet away. She breathed on the fresh air and smiled as the wind blew in her face.

Takeru, or 'Iori', took a seat on the grass, wearing his long, informal cloak. After Iori had come out of the castle with a few army plans, not much, Takeru explained to him that he was going to meet Kari today. Iori warned him not to be so headstrong, but she was the only way to gain information. He just had to squeeze it out of her.

"So, I'm glad I'm able to talk to such royalty," he said with a grin, flattering her. Kari smiled and sat down next to him.

"Well, I just needed to get away from all that for a while, and this was my perfect chance," she said, closing her eyes. Takeru dove in with a statement.

"Why did you need to get away? I heard being a princess can be enjoyable," Takeru stated, leaning back on his hands and looking at her through the corner of his eye. She sighed and tilted her head back. She felt as if she could tell him everything.

"Well, this war, for starters is just…I don't know…it's ruining everything. Everyone around me is changing, and I feel left out. I feel as if I haven't done anything, or grown. Do you understand?" she asked him. He looked to the floor. He understood. Being an unwanted child, you feel this way all the time.

"I do understand, princess. But I've learned that nothing is ever easy, and if it was, then what would be the point of living?" he said with a smile. Kari searched his eyes. He was so complex, "Even though people are changing around you…you'll be surprised as to how much they're changing you as well." Kari looked to the clear sky. He was completely right.

"But, Iori, how do just let people change? How do you let them go?" she asked, her mind floating back to Daisuke. His image popped into her head, and she remembered their kiss. It haunted her.

Takeru thought about his father after his mother had gotten murdered. He had changed, and Takeru didn't like it. Takeru would have done anything to stop him from changing, but he couldn't.

"You just do, and then you hope for the best." Kari didn't like that answer, even though it was true.

"And if the 'best' doesn't happen…?"

"Life goes on," he responded, giving her a warm, friendly smile. Kari bit her lip. This boy knew so much. There was a slight pause and both of them didn't say anything. Takeru tried to re-focus on his job.

"So I hear prince Taichi is getting married soon," Takeru said, but hit himself in the head mentally for being so straight forward. Kari rolled her eyes, thinking about her brother.

"To tell the truth, Tai doesn't want to marry Sora and is being a very big pain. He knows that marrying Sora is the only way to gain more troops and land, but he's stubborn. I hope it gets to him that he has to marry her, or we'll never beat the Ishida kingdom," Kari said, staring at the vast grassy plain. Takeru took this in.

"So there isn't an exact marriage date set, yet?" he asked nonchalantly. Kari smiled.

"No…" she trailed and lied down on the grass. It was warm outside, but the wind kept her cool. She could feel 'Iori' lying down as well. She took a while to begin to talking again.

"My father is actually planning to gather up all the troops, plus the Takenouchi troops if Taichi marries, and some of the Motomiya's troops to attack the Ishida army. Then we'll have enough power to finally beat them and the war could be finished," she said with a smile. Takeru winced. That was valuable information, and the Yagami kingdom was definitely not going to win now.

He felt horrible. Should he give his father this information and betray Kari? Takeru shook his head. What was he thinking? This was a war, and if Kari was blunt enough to give away valuable information like that, than fine, his father will love him for gathering the information. That's all he wanted. His father to appreciate him.

Kari noticed that she had told him all this and her eyes widened.

"Iori, you can't tell anyone this, alright? I can't believe I've said all that!" Kari said, standing up and hating herself. She just felt so comfortable around him. Was that so wrong? She cursed. She wasn't supposed to tell civilians information like _that_.

"Iori, promise me you won't tell anyone this. Please. I'm trusting you," she said. Takeru felt even worse now, and he promised her. She shook her head.

"I should go, now. Maybe I'll see you again," Kari said while turning around and heading towards the market place. Takeru yelled a quick "goodbye until next time" after her, and he looked to the ground. He had gotten all his information, but now he'd have to break a promise.

* * *

Sora walked out of Jun and Jyou's chambers. Lunch was being served, and she spent most of her time in there, talking with Jun about the baby and such. She smiled. She never really got the chance to know Jun. She was sweet. 

Sora walked towards her room, holding the red dress Jun had given her as a gift. As she walked pass Taichi's chamber door, she bit her lip, hoping that he would come out so she could see him. She hated how much she wanted to see him. She quickened her pace to get pass the door, and when she did without Taichi coming out, she smiled. He was probably eating.

She walked into her chambers, put the dress in her closet, and walked out, closing the door. She sighed, feeling most of her soreness disappear, but the headache was still there, pounding every once in a while.

She walked down the stairs and quietly entered the dining area, where almost everyone was seated. Queen Takenouchi smiled at her daughter as she took a seat. For once, she didn't feel Taichi's eyes on her, and this time, it made her upset.

"Darling, Jyou told us you were talking with Jun. Where is she, by the way?" Queen Takenouchi asked.

"She's just changing. She'll be downstairs in a minute or so." Sora explained. Her mother nodded and continued to chat with Queen Motomiya and Queen Yagami. Sora sighed and leaned back into her chair. She saw some bread on her plate, but wasn't hungry enough to eat it. Her stomach churned at the thought of food, and she didn't want to throw up. She breathed in through her nose, and closed her eyes. It took her a while to notice that Kari was missing.

She turned to Taichi, even though it was awkward, like always.

"Where's Kari?" she asked softly. Her head throbbed slightly. It was always around him. Taichi didn't look at her and just shrugged. Sora noticed that this was very un-Taichi like.

She quietly took his hand in hers, just like he had done to her yesterday when she was in a glum mood. He bit his lip and pulled his hand away. That was something she didn't expect. What happened? He was perfectly fine this morning. She decided not to bother him.

Taichi hated how Sora was trying to make him feel better. He hated how he had to choose between Mimi and his kingdom. It didn't seem fair. Mimi, at that moment, chose to come out and place some vegetables on the table. She felt Taichi's eyes on her and smiled at him. Taichi smiled back, and his heart leaped. God he wanted her. She always could make him feel better. He loved her, after all.

Sora noticed this interaction between the two of them and then looked at the table. Mimi could make him happy, but she couldn't. Jun walked in and everyone greeted her. She sat next to Jyou, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Sora hated this, and her head just pounded more, her body became sore again.

She couldn't make Taichi happy, and she couldn't have Jyou. She became a little dizzy and held onto the table to keep herself steady. She bit her lip as her headache pounded uncontrollably, the laughter and chatter of everyone at the table could be heard in her head.

"M-may I be excused?" she asked softly to anyone at the table. King Takenouchi heard his daughter and let her leave. No one but Taichi noticed that there was something wrong. She got up and walked out of the room, using one hand to hold her head, and the other to walk towards the stairs. Why did it hurt so much now? Maybe because she was taking more notice of it, or all the depressing thoughts had gotten to her.

She wobbled a little and then an arm grasped her to steady her. Sora looked up and saw Taichi holding on to her shoulder, making sure she didn't fall. Her head made her eyes blurry. She could see three of him.

"You need to get some rest, Sora," he stated softly. Sora shook her arm free and held her head with both of her hands. It hurt her so much, and so did Taichi. She didn't know why. She became light-headed, and turned to him. She looked at him for help, and slightly collapsed on him. Taichi let her lean on him, and she groaned.

"Sora…" he said softly, running his fingers through her hair. She pressed her head against his shoulder, near the crook of his neck, letting her tiara slide back a little. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and clung to him. She wanted him to soothe her aching head, like he had done in the morning. She hated this pain. She felt him pick her up, sliding his hands under her legs.

This was probably the third time he's had to carry her, but Sora didn't care at the moment. All those times, it was his fault. She pressed her head against him again, and it helped the pain a little. She noticed that his scent was captivating, and she loved the feel of his neck against her throbbing head.

He was her pain reliever, and she didn't mind. All she wanted was for him to always be there for her. She looked up into his eyes, which were focused on getting her to her chambers. Then she looked at his lips, and leaned forward…

* * *

TBC 


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. The last two weeks have been chaos at my house because all these relatives have come over. I've written this all yesterday and today, while watching TV so please excuse any mistakes. I've tried my best to catch all of them, but I don't know. I need a proof-reader, haha. Oh well, enjoy this chapter, and R&R. I hope i get to 40 reviews!

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon...

* * *

A sudden thought made Sora stop herself from reaching Taichi's lips. She couldn't do that to him, or to Mimi. It wasn't fair. She just stared into his gorgeous eyes, still astonished about what she had almost done. She was never that brazen. 

Taichi reached her chambers, struggling to open the door as he held her. As soon as he got the door open, he kicked it with his foot, walked over to her large bed, and set her down softly.

As soon as she felt the comfortable mattress, she didn't try to resist getting rest. She still held onto Taichi's shoulder, so he was forced to kneel beside her bed. He sighed softly, and grabbed her hand from his shoulder. He pulled it away, and Sora turned to look at Taichi. He took a deep breath, and got up.

"I don't want you to get up until you feel better, okay?" he said, not looking at her face, and heading towards the door. That was the second time that day. She glared slightly, forgetting that she had almost kissed him.

"I don't have to listen to you." She stated, lifting her upper body with her elbows. He looked back, and rolled his eyes.

"Well, then what are you going to tell everybody if you collapse in front of them?" he asked, turning around fully and crossing his arms at his chest. Sora let her self rest fully on her bed again, and she couldn't deny that she loved his presence.

"That _you_ had gotten me drunk, and that _you_ didn't want to tell anyone so you wouldn't obtain any punishment," she said, smirking weakly. Taichi glared, and walked up to her again.

"You know what? Go faint in front of my father, and tell him that I did that to you. I don't care anymore," he spat, lying slightly. He didn't want his father to have any reason to despise him again, but he did know, now, that his kingdom wasn't worth it if he had to marry Sora. He would never be able to live with her. He was going to choose Mimi.

Sora stared at him again, not meaning to get him angry. He was still, obviously, aggravated about something.

"Taichi-"

"Tai." He stated simply, stomping towards the door. He opened it and left. Sora stared confusedly and slowly brought herself up. She didn't want him to be angry with her. She weakly got on her legs and headed for the door. When she got there and walked out, she saw Taichi standing to the side, waiting for her.

"I knew you would come out," he said slightly with a frown. Sora looked at the ground embarrassedly. She had forgotten that he didn't want her to leave until she felt better.

"I wasn't going to tell anyone…the last thing I want is for you to get punished," she said softly, turning back into her room, and closing the door behind her. Sora leaned against the door, for support, and closed her eyes.

How the hell did he make her feel like _this_?

* * *

Kari had found Miyako and Ken near the carriage, and for the sake of keeping everything straight-forward, it's much easier to say that neither of them were happy about her actions. Of course, they didn't know about Iori Takada, but they were upset about her running away by herself. 

"We are in a period of war, Kari! You know better than to run off!" Miyako had exclaimed. Kari just nodded and had looked out the window.

Currently, the trio had just entered the Yagami castle, and it seems as if lunch had just ended. Kari explained to her father that they had just lost track of time, and both Miyako and Ken hadn't told the King anything. Kari was grateful…for the most part.

Kari started to walk towards the stairs but a voice made her turn back.

"Wait, Kari!" Miyako ran up to her and gave her an odd look, "We need to talk."

Kari rolled her eyes and sighed.

"About what?" she snapped. Miyako raised her eyebrows and looked at Kari hard.

"What's going on with you? Why did you-"

"Can you just stop, Miyako? I heard enough of your bickering in the carriage," Kari stated with a slight glare. Miyako scoffed.

"What is wrong with you, you're highness! If anything, you deserved all that bickering. Maybe you need a little more of it to get through to you!" Miyako yelled. Many other servants scolded at Miyako's behavior towards Kari, but Miyako didn't care. Servant or not, she was her best friend, and Miyako was sure that Kari needed to hear the truth.

Kari glared and turned around, starting to walk up the stairs toward her chambers. Miyako got frustrated.

"Daisuke's not the only one who's changing, Princess. Surprisingly, so are you," Miyako declared, walking away towards the kitchen. Kari bit her lip as she stopped on the stairs. She tried as hard as she could to keep in the tears.

* * *

Mimi giggled as she saw Taichi practicing his sword fighting with Shin as Jyou and Jun watched. She smiled and went to go sit down next to Koushiro, who was talking contently with Jyou. Koushiro grinned. 

"Good afternoon," he stated. Mimi beamed and returned the greeting.

Taichi transferred all his frustration into his sword. He thrust it swiftly at Shin and Shin had very little time to react. He clumsily shoved his sword in front of his body to protect himself.

As his sword clashed with Shin's, Taichi grunted, glared, and stepped back. He spun around skillfully with his sword and, surprisingly, swung his weapon with one hand as it hit Shin's armor with a clang. Shin stumbled back and tripped on a stone.

Everyone laughed and Shin grinned embarrassedly. Taichi brought his hands to his knees and breathed in and out slowly. Shin got up and walked up to him.

"You were really in game today, Taichi. Well done," he complimented with a smile as he patted Taichi's back. Taichi smiled slightly and thanked him. Shin looked at him worriedly, knowing something was wrong because Taichi wasn't boasting, like he usually would.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked softly. Taichi looked up and nodded copiously.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired," he stated as he walked over to the big group. Shin just sighed and followed. Taichi grinned at Mimi and took a seat next to Jun, trying not to make anything between him and Mimi obvious. Mimi smiled at him and started to talk with Koushiro again. Taichi sighed and let his back arch, and his body rest on his hands.

Jun smiled and looked at Taichi. She grinned and clapped her hands together. Taichi opened one eye and looked at her as she giggled

"Is something wrong?" he asked her. She just wiggled her eyebrows at the young man beside her.

"I talked with Sora yesterday," she whispered to Taichi. He raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes slightly.

"And I would care because…" Taichi snapped, leaning back and closing his eyes. Jun scrunched her eyebrows and pulled him up.

"She told me that the wedding might not happen," she stated, "Is that true?"

Taichi bit his lip. For some reason, actually hearing that made him feel odd. The wedding probably wasn't going to take place. He snuck a quick look at Mimi and felt his heart pound. She laughed at something Koushiro had said and her voice rang.

"I-I don't know," Taichi answered, but his mind pondered. He knew that he didn't want to go through with the wedding, but somehow, he just couldn't get himself to say it to anyone. Jun gave him a playful scowl.

"Taichi Yagami, Sora is a great young woman, and if you don't want to get married to her, than there is something very wrong with you," she said while poking his chest. Taichi glared.

"You don't know half the story, Jun. I never said that Sora wasn't great, okay? I just don't like all this arranged marriage shit," he explained.

"Tai, there's no reason to be a potty mouth! But there is a reason for you to jump off a cliff!" she shouted while hitting him in the head and placing her hands on her hips as she sat. Taichi let out a small yelp and glowered.

"Why are you hitting me?!"

"Sora is upset because this marriage not taking place. You should have seen her face when she told me all this, Tai!" Jun exclaimed. At this point, everyone turned to look at the two. Jyou raised his eyebrows.

"What's wrong, Jun?"

"Sora's only upset because her kingdom won't survive without my kingdom's welfare. If this marriage doesn't take place, then there are still many princes out there that would be more than happy to marry her, so she'll be fine," Taichi stated. Jun sighed dramatically and shook her head.

"Are you really that dim-witted? Sora has feelings for you, it's obvious by the way she acts, Taichi. Open your eyes," Jun stated a matter-of-factly. Taichi's eyes widened and for some reason, he felt butterflies flutter in his stomach. Koushiro and Jyou grinned and asked more questions to Jun as Shin laughed. Mimi glanced at Taichi sadly, and got up, walking towards the castle entrance.

"J-Jun I think you've gotten your facts out of order. Sora is anything but fond of me," Taichi stated, getting up.

"I think so as well, Jun. I mean, who would fall for Taichi?" Shin asked with a grin. Taichi glared by accident.

"Why don't we stop discussing Sora's feelings? I don't think she'd be very happy to know if we were possibly spreading her secret, or starting some absurd rumor," Jyou told everyone. Jun made a sour look and huffed.

"I'm just giving this deprived boy some inside information before he makes his decision. Not to mention that he's terribly lucky to have Sora as a choice, I mean, he could have gotten way, way worse," Jun explained, getting up and brushing herself off. Jyou sighed and got up as well. Taichi got frustrated and lied all the way down on the grass, groaning.

'Why is this all happening to me?' he asked himself, rubbing his eyes. As the couple walked away, Shin moved over and Koushiro sat on the other side of Taichi.

"It's not that bad, Taichi. You're so lucky that Sora's interested in you," Koushiro stated with a grin. Taichi glared and threw some blades of grass at him.

"Sora isn't interested in me, alright? Jun has no idea what she's talking about," Taichi countered. Shin rolled his eyes.

"I don't see why you have a problem with marrying her, anyway. Jun is right. You're lucky that Sora is your choice," he stated. Taichi glowered and got up, ready to walk in to the castle as well.

"Where are you going?" Koushiro asked.

"To kill myself," he stated simply.

* * *

Now she had feelings for him? What the hell? If Sora knew that Mimi and Taichi loved each other, then why would she let herself fall in love with him, especially when she knew that nothing could ever happen between them? But she didn't _love_ him, right? She just had _feelings_ for him, right? 

Mimi screamed in irritation, stomping up the stairs, ready to talk to her so-called, new friend Sora. How could she have feelings for him? Sora herself had told Mimi that if she loved someone, then she shouldn't let them get away. Now that Sora had feelings for Taichi, he might get away-

Mimi stopped in her tracks. Taichi wouldn't leave her just because Sora liked him, right? No- he wouldn't. Taichi loved her. Taichi _loved her_, not Sora.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She couldn't go say anything to Sora. She couldn't just walk in and say anything because she was a princess. Mimi groaned as she rubbed her eyes and backed up to lean against the hallway wall. Instead she bumped into something warm, and not a wall.

Mimi squeaked and turned to see Kari staring back at her with a different glint in her eyes. Something about her had changed.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kari, I should have been watching where I was going," Mimi explained, smiling slightly. Kari returned the smile and looked to the floor. Mimi looked at her worriedly.

"Are you alright?" she asked cautiously. Kari sighed and shook her head.

"I just needed to talk to someone," she said softly, sitting down in the hallway. Mimi followed her.

"About what?"

Kari didn't answer. She didn't really want to talk about the real problem.

"Well…Miyako's mad at me," she started. Mimi raised a fine eyebrow.

"Why is that?"

Kari hesitated.

"I don't know why, really…" Kari explained. She really didn't. Miyako herself had said that people change, so why was she angry because Kari had _possibly_ changed?

"Well, just talk to her about it, Kari," Mimi advised. Kari sighed.

"I can't. I just- I don't want to talk to her about it," she said softly. Mimi bit the insides of her mouth.

"To tell you the truth…I don't know what you should do, Kari. I'm not very good with confronting people," Mimi admitted with a grin. Kari giggled and her regular aura was back.

"Well, I'm sure it will work out," Kari said, pretty unsure if it was going to. Mimi nodded and put an arm around her friend. Kari smiled.

"Well, how are you? You looked annoyed when you were up here," Kari said, trying to forget about her problems. Mimi wanted to tell Kari everything, but decided to keep at a certain level.

"Well, I just heard that…princess Sora has-um, _feelings_ for Prince Taichi," Mimi explained, trying to sound excited. Kari became ecstatic and her arms shot up.

"Really?! That's great! I've been trying hard to push those two to fall for each other," Kari said clapping. Mimi's mouth twitched.

"Y-you've been trying to get them together?" Mimi asked with disbelief. Kari grinned and nodded.

"I even made Sora go to the lake yesterday morning to find Tai, and then, apparently, something must have happened," she informed, grinning even more. Mimi put on a fake smile.

"Something must have!" she announced squeakily. Kari laughed and shook her head.

"I'm so glad, now this marriage can take place!" Kari squealed. Mimi's jaw clenched.

"It might, but I don't think that _Prince Taichi_ wants to get married. Just because Sora has feelings doesn't mean that Taichi is returning them," Mimi stated with a slight smile. Kari raised an eyebrow.

"Well…I guess that could be right. Then that means that I must get Taichi to fall for her as well! How about you help me," Kari asked excitedly. Mimi's face flushed. Never, in a million years, would she aid anyone to help Taichi fall in love with another girl.

"I don't see how I can be of any assistance," Mimi said warily, getting up. Kari shook her head, getting up as well.

"Of course you can, help me come up with ideas, or something," Kari explained, smiling. This was the perfect way to get her mind off everything happening, and Mimi is so much fun to be around. Mimi, on the other hand, was sweating. She didn't want to do any of this stuff.

"You know, Kari, this is just silly. We'd be acting like…like little girls. We're grown women now," Mimi explicated. Kari raised her eyebrows.

"Trying to get my brother to marry Sora so our kingdom can finally win this war isn't very girly to me," Kari snapped. Mimi put her hands up in defense.

"It's just that we shouldn't be meddling, Kari. Women just do what they are supposed to do and not argue about it. They shouldn't be nosing around unless they're asked to," Mimi explained, still trying to get out of all this 'setting Taichi up' business. Kari's eyes widened. She glared and walked away.

"Wait! Kari, where are you going?" Mimi called after her. Kari didn't say anything and kept walking. Well, wasn't she ticked off today…?

* * *

Daisuke took in a deep breath and raised his arm. His fist was so close to knocking on Kari's door, but it suddenly drew back. 

What the hell was he thinking? Kari hadn't approached him all day, and that probably meant that she didn't want to see him. He sighed and walked away from her room, only to see her walking towards it, looking a little angry.

When Kari saw his face, she stopped in her tracks and looked at the ground. She knew they couldn't avoid each other forever. Daisuke lost his nerve and turned in the opposite direction, but Kari quickly ran up to him and pulled him back.

Daisuke didn't turn back to look at her.

"I'm sorry…about what happened last night," He explained softly. Kari let go of his arm.

"As am I," she stated. Daisuke nodded and started to walk away.

"I've heard, Daisuke, that I'm changing as well," Kari stated. Daisuke turned around and looked at her face. She was actually smiling, genuinely.

"Well, I'm speechless, I must say," he explained with a slight chuckle. Kari smiled and took a step closer to him.

"Good."

* * *

Sora sighed as she walked down the stairs. Now that she had taken that well needed rest, she felt rejuvenated, even though her headache was slightly there. 

"Sora, darling, you're awake," Queen Takenouchi announced. Sora smiled.

"I'm sorry, mother. I was just a little tired, that's all," Sora explained, reaching her mother at the bottom of the stairs. Queen Takenouchi smiled.

"Darling, have you heard the news?" Sora looked at her peculiarly.

"No…"

"Well, there's a ball prepared for Kari's upcoming birthday, and it's going to be held at our castle, as a surprise," her mother explained with a soft smile. Sora returned it.

"So, we'll be going home soon?" Sora asked. Her mother nodded gracefully. Sora's grin widened. She looked up at her mother.

"When will we be leaving, mother?" Her mother looked up, thinking.

"Soon, dear. As soon we have a wedding date set, we can leave. But Prince Taichi is being very reluctant, and I must say that King Yagami isn't doing anything about it," she stated with a slight grief. Sora bit her lip and looked to the ground. Her stomach fluttered as Taichi's face come into her mind.

"Mother, he's very stubborn. He will come around," she told her. Sora knew that wasn't true, but a part of her wished that it was. And she hated that.

At that moment, Mimi walked out of the kitchen area, and headed towards the front entrance. Sora bit her lip and turned to her mother.

"Excuse me," and with that, Sora walked towards Mimi. She paced herself quickly.

"Mimi," Sora called, in a polite manner. Mimi turned around and her face drained.

"Yes, you're highness," she spat. Sora caught her attitude. She thought that Mimi had patched up her hatred for her and they had become friends.

"Is something wrong?" she asked cautiously. Mimi looked her over, and put on a fake smile.

"None what so ever, princess," she spoke. Sora looked to the ground, not in the mood to question her.

"Have you seen Taichi?" she asked. Mimi glared slightly and shook her head.

"Not since our morning 'session'," she whispered slightly. Sora understood and blushed. She felt a certain jealousy stirring inside her. Mimi boasted to herself.

"Oh…" Sora said quietly, biting her lip. Mimi turned around and ran her fingers through her hair, dismissingly. Sora looked up and glowered. Why was she acting this way?

Taichi walked through the front gate, swinging his sword impressively, and both girls turned to look at him. Mimi grinned to herself and Sora bit her lip, stepping back. He looked up and smiled at Mimi, secretively at first and then his eyes fell on Sora. He walked up to the both of them.

"You're supposed to be resting," he told her. Sora looked to the floor and attempted to roll her eyes.

"I've rested enough," she stated. Mimi scowled, hating that she was not in their conversation.

"So have I," she added in blindly. Both turned and looked at Mimi as she tried hard to make herself not look foolish. Taichi smiled at her and chuckled. Mimi lightened up, and smiled at her beloved prince.

Sora hated this exchange between the two of them.

"Sora! I've been meaning to talk to you," Jyou appeared into the group and smiled at the fiery headed girl. Sora bit her lip. It was still so awkward between them. Taichi and Mimi stopped to look between the two. Jyou cleared his throat, and Mimi and Taichi got the hint. They both turned to leave, but Taichi looked over his shoulder and took one last look at Sora before turning around.

"I was just wondering if you were okay, Sora," he asked softly. Sora still felt a slight tingling in her body.

"I feel much better now, thank you," she replied. Jyou smiled.

"I mean in general, Sora. When I told you last night about the baby, you seemed pretty…odd," he responded. Sora looked to the ground.

"I was just shocked, that's all. You know how much I love children. Just surprised that you would be the father of one," she said shyly, putting some auburn hair behind her ear. Jyou grinned.

"Sora, I'm sure that in a matter of time, you and Tai will have a child of your own," he explained with a slight nudge. Sora blushed.

"You know that the marriage is not final," Sora stated with slight frustration. Jyou smiled.

"Sora, I didn't want you to find out from anyone else… but the whole castle knows about your feelings for Tai," Jyou said with an unsure face. Sora raised an eyebrow.

"What feelings? I don't have feelings for Taichi," she said, straightening herself. Did she? A quick, sudden realization hit her. She _did_ have feelings for Taichi, and the whole castle had figured it out before she had. The only thing she could do now was deny these 'accusations'.

"Why would I have feelings for Taichi?"

"You don't? Jun was wrong?" he asked, narrowing his eyes and examining her. Sora looked out to the almost setting sun. Of course Jun would have figured it out from their chat last night. Sora cursed to herself.

"Yes. I don't understand how she would have concluded _that_," Sora said warily. Jyou rolled his eyes, not buying her act. He knew her too well, but he wasn't going to tell anyone.

"You know Jun…" he trailed, pushing up his glasses. Sora nodded vaguely.

A sudden yell made both of them turn their heads towards the main entrance. They both looked at each other, and both started for the entrance.

Sora looked around, and saw Taichi laughing at something. She noticed how his eyes sparkled with cheer and she couldn't help but smile. As Jyou and Sora walked up to them, Sora's smile turned upside down as she saw Koushiro on the floor, holding his stomach, glaring at Taichi, and clutching a sword with his right hand limply.

Mimi was already scolding Taichi as he continued to die laughing, clutching his sword with his right hand.

"What's going on here?" Sora asked, staring at Koushiro then looking up at Taichi. Jyou raised an eyebrow.

Taichi wiped the tears from his eyes because of his laughter.

"It's nothing. Just doing some sword playing, that's all," he told her. Mimi folded her arms at her chest.

"You hurt Koushiro, Tai!" she said, then closing her mouth for calling him by his improper name. No one noticed, though. Sora rolled her eyes at Taichi.

"You knew I couldn't fight as well as you could, Tai. So, why did you have to go and humiliate me, anyway?" Koushiro asked with a glare, getting up and brushing himself off. Taichi shrugged.

"It was fun, Koushiro," he said with a smirk. Sora glared.

"You are so immature, Taichi," she announced, going over to Koushiro and helping him up. Taichi returned the glare.

"And you're too uptight, Sora" he stated, shifting his head in the other direction, and folding his arms. Sora scowled.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Taichi started, walking up to her so they were a few inches apart, "You don't even know the meaning of fun."

Sora stared angrily at him, and rolled her eyes.

"And I suppose you do? Going off and getting drunk is _your_ idea of fun, and might I say, that is no fun at all," Sora stated with a smirk, crossing her arms at her chest. Koushiro's eyes widened and he knew Taichi would get angry at that. He dropped his sword and moved away from the two, over to where Mimi was standing.

Taichi snapped and brought his sword in front of him, poking it at Sora's stomach, but not in any way to harm her. Just to scare her. She had kept her word, though. She had never announced that he had gotten her drunk.

Sora glared again, and moved his sword away from her, pushing it to the side.

"Don't point your sword at me. You should know better than to point it at a lady," Sora exclaimed. Taichi rolled his eyes.

"And I suppose you think you_ are_ a lady. Hah," Taichi scoffed, bringing his sword in front of him. Mimi let a laugh slip out, and Sora looked at her angrily. Mimi just quickly closed her mouth and blushed. Taichi grinned, "And Mimi agrees with me."

"She would," Sora stated simply and the couple widened their eyes. Taichi glared and brought his sword back to Sora's stomach. She clenched her fists. How she had come to have feelings for Taichi was beyond her.

Sora bent down to pick of Koushiro's sword and pointed it at Taichi's face. Taichi rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Are you challenging me, Takenouchi?" Sora smirked.

"Why, are you scared?" she asked him. Taichi scoffed.

"You honestly believe you can beat me?" he queried. Sora opened her eyes, and tried to look innocent. She didn't have to act, though.

"Well, I can try," she said with a slight smile. Taichi, who was too over-confident, couldn't see the glint in her eyes.

"Fine," he stated, taking a step back and thrusting his sword at Sora, faintly, trying not to hurt her. Sora quickly brought her sword in front to bock his, and when they were locked, she swung hers skillfully and pushed him away violently. Taichi lost his foot work and stumbled. He glared at the glowing girl in front of him.

"How do you know how to use a sword?" he asked with disbelief. Everyone around them watched the two. Mimi loved that they were fighting, and smiling the whole time.

"Is there any other way to protect yourself?" she stated, bobbing her eyebrows. Taichi rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's improper for a woman to swordfight," he declared, shrugging. Sora glared and pointed her sword at him.

"I'm not just woman, Taichi. I'm a lady," she stated. Taichi lifted his eyebrows and stared into her eyes. There was something more than anger in them; there was passion and determination. She was different from many other women. She was _Sora._

Taichi grinned, and brought his sword in front of her. This time Sora thrust first and Taichi blocked. She quickly took her sword and brought it up higher, and Taichi quickly obstructed that as well. He swung around, and almost hit her in the back, but Sora skillfully brought the sword behind her, over her head, and blocked his attack. Taichi was shocked. She was very skilled.

She glared at him, and spun around, letting her sword swing by itself, and it hit Taichi slightly on his thigh, but he didn't feel anything. He quickly forced his sword towards Sora, and she blocked it, but barely. They both stood there, breathing hard, with their swords clashed against each other, and their bodies very close.

Sora didn't notice this, and she continued to glare, her chest heaving. Taichi, however, did, and felt compelled to throw both their swords away, and take her in his arms. He had to get away from this feeling. He let his sword drop to the floor and turned to look at Koushiro, Jyou, and Mimi; anything to not look into Sora's eyes. He stared at Mimi's honey ones and she looked to the ground.

"So, do you give up?" Sora asked softly. Taichi looked at her again, and bit his lip.

"I should have known better than to point a sword at a lady," he stated, smiling at her slightly. And that did it. Sora's heart pounded and her knees grew weak. He made her feel weak again, but a good weak.

"Time for supper!" Miyako called from the main entrance. Both of them turned their heads, as Mimi and Koushiro quickly ran to the castle to help with food. Jyou looked over at Taichi and Sora, and decided to leave as well. Mimi stopped in her tracks to look at Taichi. She didn't want him with Sora, who had feelings for him. Koushiro called for her, and she reluntantly followed.

Taichi sighed, and closed his eyes, rubbing them slightly. Sora bit her lip.

"Well…shall we go inside?" she asked him, already starting to walk. Taichi smiled.

"You can wait for me, you know?" he told her. Sora stopped and looked back.

"Sorry…" she apologized softly, acting shy again. Taichi smirked, and remembered what Jun had said. Maybe she did have feelings for him. But he was shocked to know that he was hoping that she did.

Taichi took her hand in his, and Sora blushed slightly as they walked to the castle.

* * *

Kari sighed. It was still uncomfortable around Daisuke, but at least they were talking. She stared at him from across the dinner table, and he looked back when he felt her eyes on him. Kari quickly smiled and turned away, blushing. 

Dear god, was she falling for Daisuke. She shook her head. No, that couldn't be true. Her mind wandered a bit back to this afternoon, and to Iori Takada. Kari looked to the ceiling as the food arrived to the table. Iori was…different. There was definitely something about him that forced her to trust him. As if she'd known him before.

For some reason, he wouldn't leave her thoughts. She actually felt as if he was the only one that she could tell anything to because he always understood.

She hit herself mentally. She had only known him for, what, two days? Less than two days? What was wrong with her?

"Kari, you haven't touched your food," Sora noticed, looking at the younger girl. Kari blushed.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," she explained, and started to eat. Sora looked at her worriedly.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind," Sora stated. Kari nodded.

"I've just been getting into a lot of fights lately and…just having some awful days," Kari vented. Sora smiled sympathetically. Kari loved her smile. It was so soothing.

Kari remembered her fight with Miyako, which was barely a fight, but they still hadn't talked to each other. Then her response to Mimi's statement had really gotten her angry. Kari wondered if Sora felt the same way.

"Sora…do you believe that women should always do what they are asked to do, and not argue about it? That they shouldn't have opinions or be nosy? That they shouldn't do what they feel is right because of their obligations?" Kari asked quietly. Sora looked at her, and then at the table, pondering.

"What you ask is what society asks of us, Kari. A woman shouldn't be meddling in other affairs because it's not her place. But I do it all the time," Sora paused and chuckled, "I even know how to swordfight, which is frowned upon."

Sora sighed remembering what Taichi had said while they 'battled.'

"The truth is, Kari, that women aren't mindless dolls. We _do_ have opinions and we _should_ be able to do what we feel is right because most of the time, we are right," Sora said with a grin. Kari gave a toothy smile. Sora put her hand on Kari's shoulder.

"Don't let yourself be disheartened, alright? Always speak your mind, otherwise no one will know how you feel," Sora advised. Kari nodded.

"So, I wasn't crazy for becoming upset after Mimi had said all that 'women should do what they're told' nonsense?" Kari asked. Sora rolled her eyes at what Mimi had told Kari. But then again, that's what Mimi had been taught and she couldn't judge her.

"No you weren't. You just have a different opinion, that's all," Sora stated. Kari smiled and ate a little more, thinking over what Sora had said. Then a thought hit her.

"Always speak your mind, right?" Kari asked. Sora nodded and Kari grinned.

"So if I told you, hypothetically, that Tai was in love with you, how would you react?" Kari asked mischievously. Sora choked on her food, slightly, and looked at Kari disbelievingly. Did _everyone_ in the castle actually know? This wasn't good at all.

"I-I wouldn't believe you," Sora stated, wiping her mouth with her napkin to cover her nerves. Kari pouted.

"Why not?" Kari asked curiously. Sora stared at the table and sighed.

"Because he isn't in love with me," Sora said, trying to mask her feelings and she did pretty well. Kari moped.

"You don't know that," she explained. Sora looked at Taichi from the corner of her eye, and saw him laughing at something Daisuke had done. His laugh sent shivers down her spine, and the thought of him just melted her.

"I do."

* * *

Taichi waited in his chambers quietly. Damn, what was taking her so long? He sighed and closed his eyes as he rested on his bed. He had to learn to stop yearning for her so much. He didn't want to hurt Mimi. 

A knock on the door made him quickly jump off his bed and open the door. Mimi grinned at him and allowed herself in. Taichi laughed and closed the door.

"You called, you're highness?" she asked quirkily. Taichi pulled her to him and kissed her lips softly.

"I was just a little lonely. And I do remember that I made you a promise last night," he stated huskily. Mimi giggled and kissed his nose then his lips.

"I'm glad you remembered," she grinned and pulled him to his bed with her.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Here's the next chapter. Enjoy and review.

* * *

Riding back home was just too hard. Takeru still felt the heavy burden of actually telling his father the army plans and betraying Kari.

'But it wouldn't be betrayal, would it?' He asked himself. It couldn't be betrayal. He had barely spoken to Kari, and this was war. Kari shouldn't have said everything that she had. It was her own fault for trusting a stranger.

Takeru shut his eyes as he got off his horse and looked to the large castle doors. The castle was way gloomier than the Yagami one. Probably because everything was almost perfect there.

Iori sighed and looked up at his best friend.

"We're finally here. That ride was the longest," he stated, grabbing the reins of both their horses, and pulling them to the stable. Takeru nodded and smiled slightly.

A few guards walked up to Takeru, and he knew this was it. He had to tell his father. But suddenly, a part of him didn't want to. Not because he would be breaking the promise he made to Kari, but because his father would still neglect him.

He comes back with information all the time, but his father could care less about him. He only swoons over the newfound data.

As Takeru walked into the throne room, he shook his head. His father was worth it. His kingdom was worth it.

King Ishida sat on his throne, looking as if he had gotten no sleep since Takeru had been gone. His brown eyes were duller than usual, and his hair was undeniably messy.

"You've finally returned. Took you long enough!" he said gruffly. Takeru winced but held his ground. His father was worth it. His kingdom was worth it.

"Fa-uh, Sire, I've discovered that there is no exact wedding date set for the marriage alliance between the Yagami Kingdom and Takenouchi Kingdom," Takeru announced, looking at the floor. Iori walked in at that moment, and stood beside Takeru. His father looked unfazed.

"I-I have also retrieved some army plans," he started, and then paused. His mind was pushing him to tell his father, but his heart wouldn't let him. Kari's face popped into his mind. He couldn't do it.

Iori nudged him, but Takeru didn't move. He just stared at his boots.

"Go on with it! I don't have all day to waste on you," he shouted, banging his fist into the arm rest. Takeru looked up into his father's angry eyes. They weren't like that when his mother was alive. No, they were full of love, and happiness. All that's left in them now is anger, and a void.

His father was worth it. His kingdom was worth it.

"The Y-Yagami Kingdom has called the Motomiya Kingdom to help send troops, then after the marriage, the Takenouchi Kingdom will also rally their army," Takeru paused to shut his eyes tightly, "Once they have a big enough army, they plan to raid the castle, and crush our troops. They plan to use all their acquired land to fight a defensive battle, as well."

King Ishida brought a hand to his chin, and thought deeply. After a few seconds, he let out a mysterious laugh.

"Is that the best Susumu could come up with?" he asked himself. Takeru raised his eyebrow, and Iori also looked curious.

"Everything depends on this marriage…Susumu won't attack unless he has the power to do so. He wants to defeat me with one blow," The king stopped to laugh again. What he found so funny was beyond Takeru.

"All I have to do is stop this marriage. All I have to do is stop the Takenouchi Kingdom, and since their Kingdom is weak, this will be easy…" the king cackled and Takeru glared at the ground.

Yamato walked into the room and he brought a certain light with him. The room felt a little less suffocating to Takeru, and he knew his brother had entered.

"You've returned," he stated with a slight smile. At least someone was happy that he was alive.

"I have another job for you, boy," King Ishida interrupted. Takeru looked back at his father and bit his lip. The things he would do for him just to have his love…

"Father, at least let him get rest for a couple of days…" Yamato offered. His father glared.

"Stay out of this, Yamato," he barked. Yamato's jaw clenched and he glared to the floor silently. He knew better than to talk back to his father.

"Go back, and find out when the Takenouchi family will be returning to their kingdom," he ordered. Takeru stared for a while and the king got aggravated.

"Do I make myself clear?" he asked with force. Takeru bowed and left the room, with Iori and Yamato following behind him. Yamato held onto his shoulder.

"Takeru, don't go back. Don't listen to him. I don't want you to get hurt," Yamato explained with sadness in his eyes. Takeru shoved his hand off and looked at Iori. He knew Iori was tired, but he would still follow Takeru. He was a reliable friend.

"Father is worth it, Yamato. The Kingdom is worth it…" he trailed, looking at nothing in particular. Yamato sighed and shook his head with anger. Iori nodded and stood next to Takeru.

"Takeru, I'm going with you," Yamato declared, heading towards his chambers to pack. Takeru shook his head fiercely.

"You can't! Father will be upset if you go. He'll notice that you're gone," Takeru explained. Yamato glared.

"I don't _care_ about him anymore, Takeru. He's twisted and he's not our father anymore. I care about you. I care about my brother," he stated, looking at Takeru with emotion that he wished his father would glance at him with.

"Yamato…If something happened to you, he'd fight every kingdom in the world. Better me than you," he said softly, spitting out the last few words. It was true. It had always been true. Yamato shook his head.

"Takeru-"

"We leave tomorrow morning, Iori," he told him, walking towards the Servants' Quarters for some rest. Iori sighed, and Yamato punched the nearest wall with anger.

"Takeru doesn't want you to carry his burden," Iori told him. The blonde haired prince stared at the younger boy and glared.

"But I would gladly carry it for him."

* * *

The horns blared, once again, to wake up the residents of the Yagami castle. Taichi's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he noticed the sleeping Mimi in his arms. Smiling lightly, he rubbed his nose against her beautiful cinnamon hair.

Mimi slowly stirred, and opened her eyes to find herself looking at Taichi's. She grinned and knew that there was nothing to worry about. Before, she would worry about one of the maids noticing she was gone, but now Miyako could cover for her.

"Good morning," She murmured slightly, stretching under his sheets. Taichi smiled and moved some of her hair out of her face. She hadn't put it in a braid that night.

"Well, you better hurry out of here or someone will catch you," he mumbled rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them. Mimi pouted, getting up and putting on her nightdress.

"You want me to leave already?" she asked, batting her eyes. Taichi chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"I don't _want _you to leave, but you have to," he explained, closing his eyes. Mimi glared, picked up one of his pillows, and struck him with it. Taichi yelped and glared at her playfully. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the bed. She squealed and fell onto his arms, poking him on his bare chest.

Mimi sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder. Everything was so perfect right now. She didn't want to leave his arms…ever. Then she remembered that she had to talk with him on account of Sora's new 'feelings'. But she knew Taichi would get angry, so she made it indirect.

"So, the swordfight between you and Sora, yesterday, was…interesting," she stated.

Taichi felt something odd when he thought about Sora. A feeling of warmth that he'd never felt before.

"Yes…it was interesting," he said softly, stroking her hair, but looking out his window. Mimi's face twisted.

"Have you heard of her feelings for you?" Mimi asked bluntly. She wanted to be straightforward now. She wanted to know how he felt about it. Taichi looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I did. You were there when I heard about it," Taichi said obviously. Mimi hit herself mentally. Of course she was there.

"How do you feel about it?" she queried, narrowing her eyes and examining his emotions. Taichi removed his arm from around her and glared.

"Mimi, stop acting like this! Just because Sora has feelings for me, why would I have feelings for her?" he asked, raising his voice. Mimi sighed.

"I don't know. Everyone loves her, Tai. I just thought that since she loves you-"

"She doesn't love me. She has_ feelings _for me," Taichi corrected. Sora couldn't _love_ him. Not after the swordfight yesterday, although, she had been acting peculiar during dinner.

"That's what I meant! It's not that I'm scared that you'll fall for her, Tai. I just hate how she has feelings for you, when she knows that _I'm_ with you. I bet this whole goody-goody, smart act she's been putting up is pretense because she does want to take you away from me," Mimi ranted, throwing up her arms. Taichi rolled his eyes and brought his hand to his temples.

"Do you even hear what you're saying? Sora isn't that type of person. I bet this whole 'feelings' thing is just gossip," Taichi offered, rolling his eyes. Mimi glared.

"She does have feelings for you. I just know it. She asked me where you were, yesterday," Mimi announced, folding her arms. Taichi looked at her incredulously.

"She wanted to know where I was? Dear God, she must love me now!" Taichi declared sarcastically. Mimi hit him in the arm.

"She has feelings for you! She wanted to know where you were so she could _talk_ to you," Mimi said, hoping that he would understand. Taichi stared at her for a while and then shook his head.

"What?!" Taichi didn't understand at all. Mimi was obviously going crazy, "Mimi, look at me."

He turned her shoulders so she was looking straight at him.

"I don't love Sora, okay. I will never love her because I love you," he stated, putting his forehead to hers. Mimi looked at his sheets and sighed.

"I know…I just hate that she has feelings for you. It just puts you one step closer to getting married," Mimi said with a pout. Taichi grinned.

"We're not going to get married. We're not. I love you," he stated again before kissing her fully on the lips. Mimi sighed and kissed back.

He kept telling Mimi he loved her, but he couldn't push away the feeling that he was just trying to convince himself that he did love her.

* * *

Sora laughed as Jun continued to tell her the story of when had she told Jyou she was pregnant. Jyou practically having a heart attack sounds like something that would happen. It surprised her. Sora could listen to all these stories about the married couple, but not get upset like before.

Both sat on benches in the garden, just chatting happily. Sora wore a light green dress with her gold tiara shining brightly in the rising sun. Jun was wearing a deep red dress with a larger gold tiara.

"That the thing with Jyou, though. He gets surprised easily," Jun explained with a high pitched giggle. Sora laughed and shook her head.

"That's just how he is," Sora stated, letting a morning breeze run through her hair. She couldn't deny that she still got nervous when Jyou came around, but it wasn't as strong as before.

Jun smiled and placed a hand, gingerly, on the tiny bulge of her stomach, letting her head tilt back slightly. Sora smiled.

"Are you nervous about having a baby?" Sora asked politely. Jun turned to her and shook her head.

"More excited than nervous…I can't wait till she's born," Jun explained with a peaceful smile. Sora raised an eyebrow.

"She? You know the baby is a girl?" Sora queried. Jun grinned.

"I don't know for sure, but I just have a feeling," Jun replied. Sora grinned and Jun spoke a little more.

"Being pregnant is the most amazing experience, Sora. Having another _person_ inside you is just…incredible," Jun said with a new saneness. Sora's chest heaved. She had always wanted to be a mother. Jun smiled and knew what Sora was thinking.

"It won't be long till you have a baby," Jun stated with a grin, her perkiness returning. Sora smiled.

"I hope so…" she trailed, thinking of holding her son or daughter in her arms for the first time. Jun's grin widened.

"I'm sure Taichi will give you a child fast," Jun said with her eyebrows bobbing. Sora blushed.

"I already told you, Jun. The marriage is probably not going to take place," Sora explained, looking at the ground. Jun pursed her lips.

"You don't know that for sure!"

"And I don't like how you told people that I have feelings for Taichi," Sora added, looking away. Jun grinned.

"We both know that you do," she said, poking Sora's arm. Sora shook her head.

"I don't. I-I just want to have children, therefore I want to get married," Sora blabbered then hit herself mentally. Just to have children?! Jun's eyes widened and she started to giggle.

"Then marry Daisuke!" she said with a loud laugh. Sora blushed. This wasn't working. This whole denial plan was the wrong road to take with Jun. She knew women.

"Sora, I don't see why you care so much about having feelings for Tai. Now that he knows-"

"He knows?!" Sora screamed, looking at Jun with astonishment in her ruby eyes. Jun laughed.

"So you _do_ have feelings for him!" she giggled. Sora blushed. How could he know when she barely understood her feelings? God, it was just going to be more awkward between them now.

"Jun…I don't even understand anything," Sora answered softly. Jun looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Sora sighed.

"I don't understand these feelings," Sora whispered, looking at her hands. Jun looked at her sympathetically as she continued.

"At times, I can really despise him and want to wipe that stupid smirk off his face, you know?" Sora paused and looked at Jun. Jun laughed and nodded, "and other times…I want nothing more from him than to…I don't know."

Jun looked at her curiously and soon a smile crept on to her face.

"Nothing more from him than to… what?" she Jun asked teasingly. Sora blushed and looked away, but Jun continued to jeer.

"You want nothing more from him than to hold you? To kiss you? To love you?" Jun asked, poking Sora's arm and giggling. Sora looked at the ground. God, she wanted all of that, but she couldn't have it. Mimi had it. Why does this always happen to her?

"Jun…he's never going to return my feelings…" she explained softly, staring at the castle. Jun scoffed.

"Sora, Taichi would be crazy not to return your feelings! You're beautiful, sophisticated, and completely perfect," Jun supported, looking at her with glee. Sora shook her head.

"But I'm not perfect," Sora stated with a shaky sigh. Jun glared.

"Stop thinking pessimistically!"

"Jun, I don't want to have feelings for him!" There. She said it. She felt a sudden deep emptiness fill her. Jun shook her head softly, smiling at the younger girl.

"Sometimes you don't….but you can't stop them," Jun explained wisely. Sora bit the insides of her mouth. She randomly remembered the sniper that tried to attack her in the cellar. She remembered how Taichi tried to help her ease the pain by bringing her to a bar. She remembered the way he looked at her… and quickly shut her eyes.

"Why do I always fall for men I can't have?" Sora asked quietly. Jun frowned and put an arm around Sora's shoulders.

"It happens to everyone, Sora, but you'll see. There will be one man that will fall back," Jun said with a grin. Sora looked at her and smiled softly.

"How you remain optimistic all the time is a puzzle to me," Sora said softly with a shaky smile. Jun giggled.

"The best things have happened to me, Sora, and I have no doubt that nothing but great things will happen to you in the future, as well," Jun grinned. Sora laughed and looked up at the sky.

"I can hope, at least," she sighed. Jun laughed.

"Jyou's right, you know?" Jun asked, taking Sora's hands. Sora smiled and tilted her head.

"Right about what?" she asked the maroon-haired girl.

"You don't know how truly incredible you are."

* * *

Kari took in a quick breath and knocked on the Maids' quarters' door. A blonde haired maid answered and smiled brightly.

"Good morning, princess. May I help you with something?"

Kari bit her lip. Miyako would always answer first.

"Is Miyako available?" she asked the girl. The maid shook her head.

"She isn't in here now, princess. I believe she already is downstairs doing chores," the maid added. Kari bit her lip and nodded, thanking the girl as she walked away.

She and Miyako had never gotten in a fight before. This was different, horribly different. Miyako never went downstairs without Kari.

"Kari?! Hold on, I want to talk," a voice called. Kari turned to see Mimi walking towards her. Kari raised an eyebrow, noticing that she was in her nightgown wandering the castle. She then remembered that she had gotten ticked off at Mimi. Kari sighed to herself. It was only because she was already angry about the whole Miyako situation and what she had said about the roles of women.

Mimi smiled.

"Good morning!" she chirped. Kari smiled slightly and returned the greeting. Mimi frowned.

"I'm sorry about yesterday…I didn't mean to do anything," Mimi stated softly. She actually didn't know what she did wrong, but she just didn't want Kari to be upset with her.

After the talk with Sora yesterday, Kari couldn't stay angry at Mimi anymore. No one could stay angry at Mimi.

"It's alright, Mimi. I was just a little upset with everything else so I just snapped," Kari stated. Mimi grinned.

"It happens to all of us, trust me," she explained with a slight chuckle. Kari smiled and then looked at Mimi's clothing again.

"Why were you walking around the castle with your nightclothes on, again?" Kari asked with curiosity. Mimi tried to stay cool.

"U-um, I was just trying to g-get some fresh air," she stuttered lamely. Kari raised an eyebrow.

"There's no fresh air in the castle…" Kari trailed, examining her. Mimi sweated.

"I went to a window. Actually, why don't I change and then we can head on downstairs! How's that?" Mimi asked, trying to change the subject and heading towards the Maids' quarters. Kari sighed and shook her head.

"Actually, I have to find Miyako. I want to fix things up with her, so I'll see you soon, Mimi," Kari announced. Mimi grinned and waved goodbye and Kari headed towards the stairs.

Kari noticed that there was something very different about Mimi, but didn't bother to strain about it. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she quickly headed towards the kitchen.

As she walked in, she searched for the lavender haired girl, but she was nowhere to be found. Kari sighed. Maybe Miyako didn't want Kari to find her, but then she spotted Koushiro who was chatting happily with a few servants. He was her only hope.

She walked up to him gracefully and tapped on his shoulder. Koushiro turned around and smiled.

"Good morning!" he grinned. Kari laughed and returned the greeting, but then quickly getting back on topic.

"Have you seen Miyako anywhere, Koushiro?" she asked softly. Koushiro looked at his shoes and then at his fingernails.

"No, sorry," he stated, turning around and becoming slightly red. Kari rolled her eyes. He was a horrible liar.

"I know you do, Koushiro. I need to speak with her," Kari explained, holding his shoulder and giving him an upset look. Koushiro sweated a little.

"I-I'm sorry, princess, but I h-have not seen her since last night," he added, suddenly finding the ceiling fascinating. Kari sighed, noticeably frustrated. Koushiro was asking for it.

"Koushiro, under my orders, I demand you to tell me where Miyako is," she declared, smirking proudly. Koushiro bit his lip and sighed.

"She's cleaning out the horse stable…" he trailed, glowering slightly. Kari grinned and hugged him before rushing to the stable. Koushiro sighed and he knew that Miyako was going to murder him after this.

As Kari entered, she stopped when she saw Miyako and Daisuke sitting in the stable, talking. When they both heard someone enter, they turned and quickly started to get up.

"What's going on here?" Kari asked, raising an eyebrow. She felt something odd when she thought of Miyako and Daisuke being together. Especially since Daisuke had never liked Miyako much. Daisuke grinned.

"Good morning!" he exclaimed and Kari couldn't help but smile, but when she felt Miyako turning her back to her and busying herself, Kari looked to the ground. She walked to the both of them and first looked at Daisuke.

"Can you excuse us for a moment?" she asked and Daisuke nodded before looking back at Miyako and exiting the stable. Kari bit her lip and started to talk.

"Miyako…look, I'm sorry about yesterday," Kari started, looking at Miyako as she petted Mimi's favorite horse, Yuki. Kari could see her rolling her eyes and then she answered.

"You tell me everything, Kari. It hurt to know that you ran off somewhere and didn't even tell me why," Miyako stated, glaring slightly. Kari knew that was coming, but she couldn't tell Miyako that she had gone to meet up with Iori Takada…but then again, Miyako was her best friend.

"Miyako, I had a lot going on, and I just needed to be alone for a while," Kari improvised. Miyako scoffed.

"Then why were you so eager to go to the market place? I'm not blind, Kari, and I'm aware that there's something you're not telling me!" Miyako explained while looking at Kari for the first time, demanding answers. Kari had to tell her. If Miyako was in her place, there was no doubt that she would have told her.

"I was meeting that boy I bumped into a few days ago at the market place. When Princess Sora was arriving at our castle," Kari stated, looking down at the floor. Her voice had no expression. Miyako's eyes widened.

"What?! K-Kari do you have any idea how dangerous he could be? What-"

"He's anything but dangerous! He's actually very sweet, and he _understands_ me," Kari explained, trying not to sound like a complete fool. Miyako threw her hands up.

"You've met him once! Kari, he could have killed you if he had wanted to," Miyako explained, glaring at the naïve girl. Kari snapped.

"Iori would never do that!" she yelled. Miyako tried to knock some sense into her.

"Kari, what if he was just acting to gain your trust? You can't trust random people, especially in times of war!" Miyako retorted, grabbing onto Kari's shoulders. Kari broke free and glared.

"I'm not going crazy, okay?! So stop acting as if I don't know the danger of trusting random people, but Iori Takada's not random. There's something about him that I just _trust. _I feel like I've always trusted him…" She trailed, even confusing herself over her words. Miyako's eye's bulged.

"What are you talking about?!" Miyako screeched. Kari glared.

"Let's just drop the subject. You obviously will never understand," Kari explained, turning around to walk away, but then she stopped, "That's why I didn't tell you, Miyako. Because no one understands."

Miyako glared again, and then sighed.

"You're not going to meet him again, are you?" Miyako asked as calmly as she could. Kari turned around and glowered.

"Yes. When I get the chance…" Kari stated.

"Why do you want to keep going back to him?" Miyako asked incredulously. Kari bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly.

"You won't understand, Mi-"

"Tell me," Miyako commanded while interrupting her. Kari turned, looked her straight in the eye, and held a strong gaze.

"Because I'm drawn to him, Miyako. I don't know why, but I am," Kari stated, feeling her chest fill up with something anomalous. Miyako walked up to Kari and took one of her hands.

"Drawn to him as in you feel something for him?" Miyako asked with pity. Kari shrugged her shoulders.

"He's different…"

"They usually are," Miyako said with a slight smile, but then became serious again, "But Kari, you have to understand. You just can't trust him. You can't meet him. You just _can't. _You're the princess, and if he ever found out for sure-"

"He does know that I'm the princess," Kari cut in. Miyako shook her head but then held onto Kari's head.

"Promise me you won't see him again. I love you, Kari. You're my best friend, and if anything happened to you because of this Iori, I'd feel responsible because I knew about him," Miyako offered. Kari knew Miyako was right. She didn't want anything to slip out to him again, either. That could cost them the war.

"I promise."

Miyako beamed.

"Fabulous!" She exclaimed while leading Kari out of the stable and out into the morning sun. Before they started walking towards the castle, Miyako thought of something.

"What about Daisuke?" she asked the princess. Kari looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you had feelings for Daisuke," Miyako added. Kari looked at the ground and bit her lip. To tell the truth, she didn't know how she felt about Daisuke.

"No. I don't have feelings for him. _He's_ fond of me," Kari stated, walking a little faster. Miyako smirked. She knew Kari way better than she knew herself.

* * *

Sora sighed as she and Jun walked back into the castle. For some odd reason, she didn't want to go back.

She didn't want to face Taichi, now that he knew about her 'feelings'. God, to think that he knew yesterday when she was totally oblivious. He didn't act different around her, though. Sora sighed again.

If he didn't act different around her, then that must mean that he definitely didn't return her feelings. But she knew that was coming. He loved _Mimi._

"I'm going to find Jyou so I'll talk to you later, Sora," Jun said while heading towards the stairs. Sora said a quick goodbye then sighed, yet again. What to do now?

She headed towards the kitchen and stopped in her tracks when she saw Mimi walking out of it, holding some items for her chores. Mimi looked up and Sora saw her slight wince.

"Good morning," Sora stated politely. Mimi smiled slightly and rubbed her nose.

"Good morning."

Both stood there for a while, not really looking at each other. Sora was the first to move and head into the kitchen. Now she understood why Mimi was acting the way she was. She had found out about her 'feelings' as well. Sora bit her lip. She could only imagine how awkward it would be with Taichi, but a part of her didn't want to avoid him all day.

"Good morning, Sora," King Yagami called as he entered the kitchen as well. Sora smiled and returned the greeting.

"Have a good night's sleep?" he asked, itching some of his dark brown hair under his crown. Sora chuckled and nodded.

"A very good night's sleep, thank you," she said with a grin. He laughed and walked over to a servant to tell them something. Sora felt _his_ eyes on her and turned to see Taichi smirking and leaning against the kitchen wall. 'Here we go' she thought.

"Why do you always butter up to my father?" he asked with a larger smirk. And this was one of those moments where Sora wanted to wipe his stupid smirk off. She rolled her eyes.

"It's not 'buttering up', Taichi. It's called common courtesy. Try using it sometimes," she stated, trying to walk out of kitchen to avoid a talk like this. Taichi sighed and grabbed her hand. Sora blushed as he pulled her out of the kitchen with him.

As he led her outside, Sora tried to break her hand free of his grasp, but he just held on tighter. Sora grumbled.

"Where are we going?" she asked rudely. She was surprised at the tone of her voice. Taichi raised his eyebrow, surprised as well.

"Excuse me?" he asked, questioning her tone. Sora blushed even more. She had no idea why that had come out the way it had. Maybe she was trying to hide her feelings by showing hate. He rolled his eyes.

"You're acting different today," he stated as he led her to the same place they fought swords yesterday. He let go of her and handed her a sword. She raised her eyebrow.

"We're sword fighting, again?" she asked. Taichi chuckled and took his sword out.

"Well, you were good practice," he stated, swinging his sword around. Sora glared and dropped the sword. That's all he thought she was? A good practice?

He raised an eyebrow.

"Well I don't want to help you train," Sora spat, crossing her arms at her chest and walking away. Taichi stood there for a while, completely lost, and then went to follow her again.

"Why not? We had fun yesterday, didn't we?" he asked her, holding onto her arm to stop her. Sora glared.

"No," she lied. He rolled his eyes.

"My, aren't we irritable today?" he asked, letting go of her arm. Sora didn't look him straight in the eye and stared at the floor.

"Maybe because you're just irritating," she explained, looking away with a glare. Taichi smirked and moved closer, out of impulse.

"Maybe you just get irritated easily," he retorted, using her comeback against her. Sora blushed and turned to walk away again. God, she hated him. Taichi laughed and ran up to her till he was in front of her and stopped. She scowled.

"I don't really want to talk to you right now, Taichi," she explained. Taichi beamed.

"Sure you do," he said while bobbing his eyebrows. Sora was the darkest shade of red, and a part of Taichi found it cute.

Sora bit her lip. He definitely knew of her 'feelings.' She looked at the ground with dread, and started to power walk away from him, but Taichi caught up with her and held onto her arm.

"Let go! Why are you bothering me? I'm sure Mimi would love to have you in her company right now, so go to her," Sora sneered, pulling her arm away. Taichi hushed her and glared.

"You promised you wouldn't say anything about that," Taichi snapped, glaring at her. Sora hated when he did that. She liked it better when his eyes were bouncy and cheerful. She even liked it better when he smirked.

"But you keep annoying me, so I have to be strict," she stated with a big smirk, mocking Taichi. He looked angrily at her.

"I'm only trying to spend some time with you because I know _you_ want to. But hey, why should I try to make you feel better about me choosing Mimi and not _you_ when all you want to do is snap?" he asked rhetorically but then felt horrible when he saw Sora loosen her glare and stare at him with hurt. Taichi bit her lip.

"Sora-"

"Don't talk to me," she said with a slight quiver as she turned to walk away. Taichi couldn't help but feel just as much pain as she did.

"I didn't mean it!" he told her. Sora bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly.

"You did," she whispered while running towards the castle. Taichi groaned and kicked a stone while running his fingers through his hair out of anger. How could he have been so ignorant?

Sora ran into the castle and stopped when she felt that Taichi wasn't following her. She felt horrible, like someone had kicked her in the stomach. It was turning out to be like Jyou all over again.

She didn't want to cry.

She wasn't going to cry.

She just remembered a piece of advice that Taichi, himself, had told her.

'Any man would be lucky to have you. And any man who's broken your heart isn't worth your time.'


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: Two or ore three more chapters and Drawn Together is over. Sorry if this chapter seems rushed but i wanted to get it out there. Thanks to all my reviewers, and I hope more review for this chapter. It's one of my favorites. Probably because I didn't over-write it. R&R!

Disclaimer: don't own digimon

* * *

This was it. Sora sighed and looked out the window of her room at the Yagami castle for the last time. She was finally going home and the thought of it brought a smile to her angelic face. 

The day before had been hectic. After the blow up between her and Taichi, Sora wasn't avoiding him, but wasn't talking to him either. They went the whole day not really saying anything to each other except for 'Please pass the bread'. But even then, Sora didn't give him the bread during dinner.

Sora sighed and rested back on her bed. Her stuff was packed and ready to be set into the carriage. She did it all last night after her mom had told her about the sudden situation in her kingdom. With the king and queen gone, some of the civilians were deciding to revolt against the council there, and that was slowly starting to wreak havoc throughout the kingdom.

King Takenouchi thought it was for the best that they all went back and restored order to the kingdom. Sora shut her eyes and tried to control her feelings. This all was happening because of the poverty throughout her nation. And the princess side of her was compelling her to convince Taichi to understand her problem and marry her, but the human part of her was yelling to let him be with the one he loved.

And now the biggest question remained: What was more important…her humanity or her duties?

She let out a frustrated sigh and her stomach dropped as the horns sounded for the beginning of the day. Her mind was roaring at her 'You're a princess! Fulfill you're responsibilities and make your people happy', but somewhere deep down, she knew she couldn't do that to Taichi. Maybe it was her feelings for him holding her back, or maybe it was her compassionate nature.

Sora stood up and put on her tiara. She was already dressed in a simple green dress and ready for her day and her trip home. She smiled again, the thought of home making her giddy beyond words. She needed home. Too bad they weren't leaving till this afternoon. Her parents wanted some rest and time to restock for the journey back.

Sora slowly walked out of her room, trying not to make noise. As she neared the stairs, she saw someone sitting on a step, her head in her hands. When Sora got a good look, she noticed that it was Mimi.

At first, she wanted to walk down, ignoring her, but suddenly changed her mind when she saw Mimi lift up her face and look worriedly at the stairs. Biting her lip, she went down to where Mimi was on the stairs and said a quiet 'hello'.

Mimi looked up and in her mind, she groaned. She really didn't want to see Sora right now.

"Good morning," she replied softly. Sora stood there for a while, feeling a bit of awkwardness. Mimi sighed and started to get up.

"I'm sorry to be in your way…" Mimi spoke, walking down the stairs. Sora bit her lip and held on to Mimi's shoulder. Mimi turned around and looked into Sora's concerned and caring eyes. She hated how they made her want to break down and tell Sora everything.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked the cinnamon haired girl. Mimi looked to the floor and nodded slowly.

"I'm fine," she lied, breaking free of Sora's grasp and walking towards the kitchen. Sora watched her and let out a breath. At least she tried, right? After a few moments, Sora shook her head. Who was she kidding? For some reason, she wanted to help Mimi. Probably because she was just realizing that the only reason they loathed each other was because one person.

Sora walked into the kitchen and looked around, noticing that Mimi was nowhere in there. She then realized that the back door was open, and she walked towards it. Remembering that Mimi loved the horse's pen, she made her way to it and found Mimi petting Yuki. Walking in slowly, Sora soon noticed the few droplets of tears escaping Mimi's eyes.

"Why are you bothering me, your highness?" Mimi asked with a gruff, wiping away her tears. She didn't look at Sora as she moved towards her.

"I-I just wanted to make sure that you were alright…" Sora explained lamely, pushing some of her ginger hair behind her ear. Mimi scoffed and turned her back towards the princess.

"I'm _fine_, princess," she spat, sniffing a little and looking towards the ceiling. She just wanted Sora to leave her alone. She was one person she did not want to see right now…_especially_ now.

"You don't seem fine."

Mimi turned around and glared at Sora.

"What would you know, _your highness_," she retorted, crossing her arms at her chest. Sora let her eyes drop in embarrassment and she sighed.

"Did Taichi do anything?" she asked. Mimi let her eyes soften and then she, too, looked to the floor. When she didn't answer, Sora asked again.

"Did he?"

"He didn't do anything…but he did enough," Mimi spoke softly. Sora raised an eyebrow at her words. Mimi shut her eyes forcefully and groaned. She couldn't believe that she was saying things to Sora.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sora asked softly. Mimi was about to snap at her again, but the glint of compassion in Sora's eyes made her stop. Mimi was forgetting why she ever despised Sora in the first place.

"I just want to-I don't know. I want to get away. Just for a while…" Mimi explained, sitting down on a haystack. Sora was confused. What was wrong with Mimi? She was fine yesterday.

Sora walked over and sat down next to her.

"Why do you want to leave? Everything here is perfect for you," Sora stated, smiling sincerely at the maid. By 'everything', Sora meant Taichi. Mimi bit her lip and let her eyes water up a little.

"Nothing's perfect," she whispered, using words that Sora had spoken to her a while back, "I-I just can't stand up to anyone right now. I'm so scared- he's going to be so angry with me."

Sora looked at her with concern, not comprehending the situation.

"Mimi, why would Taichi be angry at you?" she asked. Mimi let a few tears slip and she buried her head in her hands. Why was she saying anything to Sora? Mimi hated this. She couldn't tell anyone. This was her burden, her problem.

"I want to leave. Just for a while," she said softly. Sora frowned, knowing that Mimi wasn't going to tell her any more than that. There was silence, and then a thought hit Sora.

"Mimi…why don't you come with me?" she asked the girl next to her. Mimi looked at her with bewilderment. Sora smiled, remembering that no one else, except for the kings and queens knew about Sora's leave today.

"I'm going back home early today, and if you want, you can come with me," she explained softly. Mimi's eyes brightened up slightly. She just needed to avoid Taichi for a while and this was a good way. In any other situation, Mimi would be ecstatic knowing that Sora was leaving early, but now she was her only way to get away.

"That would be so helpful, your highness," Mimi explained with a sorrowful smile. Sora smiled.

"Sora," she corrected, "and you can stay at my castle for as long as you need."

Mimi sighed and, without knowing what she was doing, gave Sora a tight hug and then pulled away, wiping her tears. She decided that Sora was definitely the least of her problems now, and there was no point of being angry at her when all she had done was be kind to Mimi.

* * *

Taichi groaned as he rolled around on his bed. The horns had blown a while ago and he was now trying hard to go back to sleep. He swore that one day he _would_ actually hide those obnoxious horns so people could actually get sleep. 

Finally giving up, Taichi got up and rubbed his eyes. When the sun shined in his face, he gave out a growl and fell back onto the bed. What a day this was turning out to be.

Getting up, he walked to his bath to get ready. After a few minutes, he was stumbling out of his room, trying to put one of his boots on at the same time. After bonking into the walls a few times, he finally got his boot on and walked down the stairs. There, Taichi was met by his father, waiting for him at the bottom.

"Taichi, may I speak with you for a moment?" Taichi nodded and his father led him to the side where no one would interrupt them. He then looked at Taichi sternly.

"Tai, will you or will you not marry Sora?" the king asked his son. Taichi looked at his boots.

'No, no, no, no!' his mind shouted.

"I-I don't know," he said softly, shocking himself. His father shook his head.

"Taichi, I need an answer. Now."

Taichi took this time to glare at his father.

"Can't you give me the day or something to think about it?" he asked, folding his arms. His father put his hand to his forehead.

"You don't have the time, Tai! Sora's leaving today, and I want a wedding date set," he explained, getting aggravated. Taichi's eyes widened.

"She's leaving _today_?" he asked incredulously. His father raised an eyebrow at his reaction, "And she didn't tell me?!"

"Taichi-Yes or no?" he asked for the last time with force. Taichi winced and bit his lip.

"I don't know, father. I honestly don't know," he said with a slight frown. His father wanted to fight with him more, to convince him to marry Sora, but he decided not to. In a way, he was teaching Taichi a very important lesson: Responsibility. And obviously, Taichi lacked it. He knew Taichi would make the right choice in the end.

Instead, he shook his head with disappointment, and stomped away. Taichi's jaw set and he bit his lip. How could she be leaving?

As if on cue, Sora walked towards the stairs with Mimi. Taichi instantly glared and walked up to the girls.

"So, you were just going to leave without saying goodbye?" he asked Sora, not really noticing Mimi, looking away and trying to avoid his eyes.

Sora was also feeling uncomfortable around him and in total, this was something new. Both the girls didn't want to be near him, and yet, he was oblivious for the most part.

"I was going to say goodbye, Taichi. I'm not leaving till this afternoon," she said with a slight glower, remembering her anger towards him. He looked at her strongly, and for the first time, in a long time, they had their awkward stare. The one where sparks flew.

Feeling shivers run down his spine, Taichi broke away from her eyes and looked at his boots. Mimi was too nervous to notice the exchange between Sora and Taichi.

Sora brought a hand to her head and walked away slowly, leaving Mimi and Taichi alone. Taichi watched her leave and felt his stomach drop. Suddenly, Taichi noticed that Mimi was walking away as well, but Taichi called for her to stop.

"Mimi, wait."

She turned around timidly and smiled weakly. The love in her eyes was uncanny, but the fear in them was, as well. Taichi immediately noticed something different about her in general.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, using his hand to brush it across her cheek. Mimi's heart flipped and she wanted to grab his face and kiss him for dear life…but she couldn't now. He'd get angry if he knew what was going on. If he knew the truth.

"No…nothing's wrong. I-um, I just want to tell you that I'm leaving with Sora today…for a few days," Mimi explained, her voice different. Taichi stared at her for the longest time and shook his head.

"What? Why are you leaving?" he asked with disbelief in his eyes. Mimi shuddered and tried to hold in tears. She couldn't tell him. He'd get angry.

"I just want to…see other places and such. And Sora said it was okay for me to leave with her," she said with a soft sigh. Taichi raised his eyebrow.

"I thought you hated Sora," he said with a slight glare. Mimi shook her head, letting some tears fall.

"I never hated her, Tai. You of all people should know how hard it is to dislike her. I was just…jealous," Mimi explained, folding her hands loosely at her chest. Taichi pulled Mimi to him, holding her in his arms and running his fingers through her hair.

"Mimi…why are you really going?" he asked softly. He was aware that they were somewhere where anyone could walk in on them, but he didn't care. He needed her. He couldn't let both Sora and Mimi go.

Mimi rubbed her face against his robes and sniffled.

"Just let me go, Tai. Just for a few days. I'll be back, I promise," she whispered against his chest. Taichi pulled her away and looked deep into her eyes. Taking a few steps back from her, he nodded and walked away. Mimi let her face scrunch as he left and tried to hold in her sobs. She held her stomach and slowly fell to the floor, breaking down into a cry.

As Taichi walked away, he couldn't let go of the feeling that he was actually letting her go…for good.

* * *

Takeru sighed as he looked at the Yagami castle through the gate. He had to find a way to get to Kari, just to ask her when the Takenouchi's were leaving. Iori turned to his friend. 

"What do you plan on doing if we can't get Kari to talk to you," he asked. Takeru bit his lip and shook his head.

"Hope for the best," he said with a slight smile, walking away from the gate. What his father was planning to do to the Takenouchi's was still unknown, but he knew it would be horrible. His father was horrible.

"Takeru, look!" Iori called. Takeru ran back to the gate and pressed his head against it. His blue eyes analyzed the carriage now coming out of the castle, and it held the Takenouchi emblem on it with green and red colors.

"Now, why would the royal Takenouchi carriage be prepared to leave unless…?" Iori asked with a smirk, waiting for Takeru to continue his sentence.

"Unless they're leaving soon," Takeru said with a grin. He looked around for a way to get closer, or a way to find out when they're actually leaving.

"And by the looks of it, they're putting stuff in it already, so they must be leaving today or tomorrow," Iori added. Takeru shook his head and smiled. He turned his head back to the carriage and noticed that King Takenouchi was now out there as well. He was dressed in his formal green and red robes, and this made Takeru grin even more.

"Iori, they must be leaving today. Look at the king. He wouldn't be dressed like that unless he was going back to his kingdom," Takeru said, hopping up to his feet. Iori raised an eyebrow.

"What does that have to do with him and his family leaving?"

Takeru smiled at his partner.

"When you travel back home, its important and formal to wear your Kingdom's colors. In case they were stopped by another kingdom, the Takenouchi family would have proof that they were indeed the Takenouchi family by their emblem and clothes," Takeru explained simply. Iori nodded and smiled.

"Then our work here was done quickly," he stated. Takeru laughed.

"Yeah, now let's hurry back and tell my father the news," Takeru announced. His father would have to love him after this. He would just have to.

* * *

"I can't believe you're leaving already," Kari said with a pout as she watched Sora finish packing last minute things. Sora smiled and walked up to Kari, giving her a warm hug. 

"I'm sure we'll see each other again. Very soon, I'm sure of it," Sora said with a bright smile. Kari nodded and straightened out her yellow dress. She watched as Sora put on her red ribbon over her green dress, which went from her shoulder to the opposite side's waist. It held the emblem of the Takenouchi kingdom proudly on it.

"How long does it take to get back to your kingdom?" Kari asked while crossing her legs slightly. Sora looked up in thought.

"About one day. My Kingdom isn't very far from yours, so there's another advantage," Sora answered with a smile. Kari nodded and grinned. There was a knock at the door and Sora opened it to find a pouting Jun.

"Sora, I can't believe you're leaving!" Jun squealed while crushing Sora into a massive embrace. Sora chuckled and hugged back then pulled away to see Jyou standing near her door as well. Sora bit her lip and smiled at him, genuinely, as well. He came forward and gave her a sweet hug, lifting her off the floor a little.

"All three of us will come and visit you soon," Jyou said with a sensitive smile. Sora raised an eyebrow and Jyou laughed.

"Me, Jun, and the baby of course," he grinned. Jun giggled and put a tender hand to her stomach and Sora grinned back.

"I'll be expecting you all soon," she explained while going back and giving Kari a warm hug as well. Kari held on and looked up at her fondly.

"You would have made a great sister," she said with a smile. Sora blushed and her heart leapt at the thought of Taichi. She slowly pulled away and kissed Kari on the cheek.

Downstairs, King and Queen Takenouchi were saying their goodbyes to everyone as Sora walked downstairs with Jyou, Jun, and Kari. Jyou helped load some of Sora's stuff into the large carriage.

Daisuke came up to Sora and took her hand charmingly.

"I hope to see you soon, princess," he said with a grin as he kissed her hand. Sora laughed and gave him a slight hug.

"Thank you for making my stay here delightful," she smiled, walking towards King and Queen Yagami. The queen smiled and kissed Sora's cheek.

"Have a safe trip home, dear," she said in a soft, motherly tone. Sora smiled and nodded, thanking her for her hospitality. King Takenouchi smiled and put a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"We _will_ see each other soon, I promise," he said with a grin, nodding over at Taichi. Sora looked in that direction and her knees buckled. He was looking at the floor, leaning against the Takenouchi carriage. She bit her lip and walked up to him slowly. She knew that he must have felt horrible because Mimi was leaving.

Taichi knew she was coming. It was as if he had almost felt her presence. She stopped in front of him and both didn't look at each other. Taichi still leaned against the carriage, looking at his boots. God, he was going to miss her.

Sora felt her stomach churning and she couldn't take it anymore. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into the crook of it. She felt his arm slowly wrap around her waist loosely and his breath tickling her ear. She pressed herself closer to him, not wanting to leave. Something inside of her was pulling her to stay with him, but what was the point? He didn't love her back.

She was trying to memorize everything: his scent, the feel of his hair, his lean body. God, he brought out the worst in her, and he also brought out the best. She felt tears well up in her eyes and that scared her. Why was she crying? She'd see him again.

"So, I guess this is goodbye," he whispered into her ear, holding her against him. Sora shook her head. She remembered when she first met him and his arrogant self, the time when he pulled her into the lake and later got her drunk. The time where helped ease the pain she was feeling from her hangover and how she almost kissed him. This would have been the perfect moment to kiss him, but she didn't. He was Mimi's.

"We'll see each other soon, and I'll make sure Mimi's alright," Sora explained, pulling away from his warm body. Taichi looked down at his boots again and nodded stiffly.

"Yeah…Mimi," he breathed. Somehow, he didn't feel anything when he thought of her, but when he thought of Sora, he was a ball of nerves. What was happening?

Sora nodded and walked to the main carriage. She saw Mimi walking into one of the two smaller carriages, smiling at the people helping her up. Miyako waved at Mimi and quickly ran to Sora. She also crushed her into a hug and Sora smiled.

"Thank you so much, Miyako. I've had a very generous stay thanks to you," she said with a grin. Miyako smiled and wiped some of her own tears.

"I'll miss you so much, princess. Thank _you_ for everything," she said, motioning towards Ken. Sora laughed and nodded. Before she got onto her carriage, Miyako asked her something.

"Why is Mimi going with you? She wouldn't give me a straight answer."

Sora shrugged her shoulders.

"I honestly don't know, but she said she wanted to get away for a while, so I let her come with me for a few days," Sora explained. Miyako looked to the floor and sighed. Sora squeezed Miyako's hand for reassurance and Miyako smiled gratefully.

"Time to leave, darling," her mother announced. Sora sighed and walked into the carriage. She took a seat near the window and smiled to herself when she saw everyone waving. Taichi was off to the side, staring straight at her, and her smile disappeared. She gazed back could swear she saw him smile. He was amazing. As the carriage started to move, Sora saw him wave at Mimi in the carriage behind her, and Sora's heart dropped.

He loved Mimi, he loved Mimi, he loved Mimi…

It played on in her head over and over again, and it wouldn't get out. She sighed and tried to keep her emotions in. The gates opened and the carriages left the Yagami castle. As the neared the rode, Sora felt tears stream down her face. She missed him already. She felt and arm rest on her thigh and she looked into her mother's warm eyes.

"Everything's going to be alright, dear. Everything's going to be alright."

Sora nodded and wiped her face. She rested her head on her mother's shoulder and slowly drifted to sleep.


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: I just had to write this chapter because it is the most intense and it will influence the second part of this trilogy. My favorite chapter so far so please review and tell me what you think! That would make me so happy, you have no idea. Well enjoy.

* * *

Yamato sighed as he lifted his sword and swung it around. He was lying on his bed, waiting for his brother to return. Every time Takeru left to 'spy', it just made Yamato that much more nervous. He'd lost his mother, and his father in a way. He didn't want to lose his brother as well.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Yamato called for the person to enter. In walked his grinning brother and Yamato couldn't help but smile back.

"I told you I'd come back in one piece," Takeru explained, leaning against his brother's door frame. Yamato smirked and got up to shake his brother's hair. Takeru laughed and walked into the chambers, sitting on a chair near a table.

"So what have you been up to since I've been gone?" he asked his older brother. Yamato moved some of his golden blond hair out of his face and shrugged.

"Nothing in particular," he stated simply. Takeru propped his elbow on the table and leaned his head against his hand. His brother was always like that. He never gave straight answers and liked to keep to himself a lot of the time. Takeru was the only exception.

Yamato crossed his arms at his chest and leaned against the wall. He gazed at his younger brother with his dark blue eyes, and then at the ground.

"Did you find out the date?" he asked. Takeru smiled and nodded his head.

"They left yesterday," he explained, grinning even more. Yamato bit his lip and walked up to his brother.

"Takeru, you can't tell father," he told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Takeru raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" Takeru looked up at his brother with curiosity. He knew how much satisfying his father meant to him.

"He's going to attack the Takenouchi castle, Takeru. He's not playing by warfare rules any longer," he told. Takeru sighed and ran a hand through his blond hair.

"Well, I can't say that I wasn't expecting something like this," Takeru said softly. Yamato nodded and went back to his bed, facing his brother.

"He's gone crazy. I can't even convince him not to attack the Takenouchi family," Yamato sighed, rubbing his forehead. Takeru thought for a moment and then looked at Yamato.

"But won't it be to our advantage if we do attack the castle? If the Takenouchi kingdom then decides not to have a marriage alliance, we could win the war," Takeru explained. Yamato glared at his boots and shook his head.

"Takeru, father doesn't want to attack the castle to scare them out of the marriage. He wants to make sure that the marriage will _never_ happen," Yamato explained with slight anger. Takeru raised his eyebrow and it dawned upon him.

"He wants to kill the princess?" he asked softly. Yamato stared at the floor and nodded slightly. Takeru's eyes widened.

"He can't do that! The Takenouchi Kingdom isn't even part of the war yet! It's against the rules," he shouted, standing from the chair. Yamato looked at his brother and sighed.

"He's dropped the rules. He's going to do whatever it takes to win," he whispered. Takeru shook his head and kicked the chair.

"Takeru, you can't tell him. He's going to attack as soon as he knows that their safe at home," Yamato told him. Takeru shook his head.

"B-but he's my father…I have to tell him. He told me to find out this information," Takeru explained, looking out a window in Yamato's chambers. Yamato sighed and looked at his boots again, letting his crown droop.

"Takeru…he's _not_ our father anymore. If you tell him, an innocent girl will get killed. Maybe more, who knows," he explained. Takeru bit his lip and his chest heaved.

"If I don't tell him, he'll get angry. You know what happens when I get him angry, Yamato," Takeru whispered, looking back at his brother. Yamato then looked at him with pity. He couldn't let his brother go through another beating.

"I have to tell him…" Takeru trailed. He didn't want his father to beat him or hate him, but he didn't want Princess Sora to be killed either.

Yamato looked at his brother for a while and then at the ceiling. He sighed and brought both his hands to Takeru's shoulders.

"It's your choice then," Yamato stated. Takeru looked at the floor and pulled Yamato's hands away from him.

"I _have_ to tell him…" he said, leaving Yamato's chambers and walking towards the stairs, to the throne room.

As Takeru got to the large doors, he second guessed himself, but shook it off. His father was worth it. His kingdom was worth it…right? He knocked on the large doors, and like always, he heard his father's raspy voice calling him in.

King Ishida looked up from his papers and he smiled deviously at Takeru walking in.

"Have you returned with news?" he asked grumpily. Takeru sighed and bit his lip.

"The Takenouchi family left the Yagami castle yesterday. They should be back at their kingdom by now," Takeru explained softly. His father glared.

"Speak louder, boy!" he shouted. Takeru winced and stared up at his father. A sudden realization finally hit him. His father would never love him again.

"T-the Takenouchi family left the Yagami castle yesterday. They should be back at their kingdom by now…" Takeru repeated with a stronger voice. He looked at his boots and felt tears welling up. King Ishida grinned and stood up.

"Perfect." The Takenouchi kingdom was only a few hours away. King Ishida was already formulating when to have a few troops march to the castle. Of course, they'd have to sneak there first, and then attack. Tonight would be perfect.

Takeru bowed, then turned and ran out of the room. What had he done? God, his kingdom might have been worth it, but his father wasn't. He sure damn wasn't. He quickly ran to the stable, wiping his tears.

Since he didn't know how to get to the Takenouchi Kingdom, he'd just have to warn somebody at the Yagami castle. As he entered the horse stable, he saw Iori feeding some of the horses. He smiled at Takeru, but then looked at him curiously as he saw him open a pen, and take out one of the horses.

"Takeru, what's going on?" he asked. Takeru didn't look at him, but still answered.

"I've just made a mistake. I'm going back to the Yagami castle and warning them of my father's attack against the Takenouchi family," he stated quickly, getting on the horse and prepping it. Iori's eyes widened and he went by Takeru's horse.

"Takeru, they'll kill you if they find out that you're part of the Ishida Kingdom. Not to mention that you're father would as well!" Iori hastily explained. Takeru shook his head and glared at his hands, which were holding the reigns.

"I don't care about my father anymore. He's evil, Iori. What's the point in trying to please a man that will never be pleased? I hate myself for noticing that now," he said softly, looking at his best friend. Iori sighed.

"But King Yagami will kill you if he finds out that you're an Ishida," Iori told him. Takeru thought for a second and bit his lip.

"Then I'll just have to get a hold of Kari and tell her," he said, getting ready to gallop away. Iori stopped him.

"I'm coming with you, hold on," he told Takeru, but Takeru shook his head.

"No. I have to do this alone, Iori," he stated, hitting the side of his horse with his boot and galloping away. Iori cursed and tried to run after him, but as Takeru got further away, sighed and looked up towards the sky. If Takeru rode fast enough, he would be able to make it to the castle tonight.

* * *

Sora sighed as she fell on her bed. There were no words to describe how happy she was to be home. Some of her maids were already unpacking some of her clothes and she smiled as she saw the noon sun filling the sky.

It was such a beautiful day and she decided not to waste it inside the Takenouchi castle. She felt a sudden rush of happiness knowing she was safe at home. The whole trip back to her kingdom, her mother had convinced her that their kingdom would be alright, even if this marriage alliance didn't work out.

There was a knock on the door and she quickly got up to open it. She found Mimi blushing slightly and smiling.

"I'm sorry to bother you, princess, but I don't know how to get to the maids' quarters," she explained softly. Sora smiled and got out of her chambers. She had almost forgotten that Mimi was going to stay at her castle for a few days.

"It's no problem. Here let me show you to it," Sora said with a smile as she led Mimi to a different part of the castle. Mimi followed quietly, looking around and trying to remember where she was going so she could find her way to the castle again. It was a little more colorful that the Yagami castle and it was very lively and busy.

Sora walked up to a wooden door and knocked softly. A black haired girl opened it and smiled at Sora brightly.

"You're Highness, you've returned!" she grinned enthusiastically. Sora smiled and a few more girls walked up to the door and greeted her, as well. She took Mimi's hand and brought her ahead so the other maids could see her.

"This is Mimi, and she'll be staying with us for a few days," Sora introduced. The other girls greeted her kindly and motioned for her to come in. Sora smiled as they started to talk to her, and Mimi slowly had a smile on her face.

"Please give her a bed and anything else she might need," Sora announced and the black haired maid smiled and nodded. Mimi gave a quick 'thank you' as Sora walked away.

Sora sighed pleasantly to herself. Hopefully Mimi would be happy here. For some reason, Mimi had acted strangely when she was at the Yagami castle, and Sora knew that Taichi had something to do with it.

She felt her hear leap as she thought of him. God, she missed him and she wished that he were here with her, but she shook her head. She promised herself on the carriage that she would try not to think about him, and she was going to do just that. Too bad it was so hard.

Sora walked down the stairs and headed to the Meeting Room where her father and the council were discussing what had happened while they were gone. Though a few civilians had revolted against the council, everything seemed to die down as they noticed that the King was back.

Sora walked up to the room, but the large doors were shut. Her father probably didn't want anyone to listen to anything and Sora made a sour face. She wanted to know what was going on. She suddenly had the urge to press her head against the door and listen to what they were saying, but it certainly wouldn't be proper.

Then another thought crossed her mind. She hadn't had been that proper at the Yagami castle. There, Taichi had brought out the worst in her. Who was she kidding? She wasn't as proper as she thought she was, anyway.

Sora looked both ways down the hall and then slowly pressed her ear against the Meeting Room door. There were muffled sounds and it was obvious that people were inside. She then heard her father's voice.

"Well, everything seems to have calmed down since I have arrived, and I hope it stays that way," he said. Sora pressed her head against the door even more. Then she heard a member of the council speak.

"You're Highness, the people trust you, but they don't trust the council. They still believe that you will lead them out of poverty and suffering." Sora then couldn't hear anything. There was silence till her father spoke up again.

"To tell the truth, the chances of this kingdom breaking out of poverty are slim. It seems that the marriage alliance with the Yagami kingdom will not be working out anytime soon," her father explained. Sora slumped a little on the door. She hated hearing those words, even though she knew that the alliance would _definitely_ not happen. The council was silent.

"Don't tell the people anything till we are positive the marriage will not take place, You're Majesty. We don't want to worry the people even more," another councilman said.

Sora pulled her head away, not wanting to hear anymore. That just made her day gloomier. She shut her eyes and inhaled in deeply.

* * *

Taichi sighed, laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. His arms were folded behind his head and his legs were crossed at the ankles.

His mind was restless and he hadn't been able to sleep last night. There were too many questions running through his head and he needed answers. Why had Mimi left? Why did he miss Sora so much? What was wrong with Mimi? Why did he miss Sora so much? What was wrong with him?

He groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He had already gotten ready for the day, but wasn't in the mood to leave his room. He sighed and searched his mind for something else to think about.

Well, Kari's birthday was in a three days. She'd be turning sixteen. A few months from now, Taichi would be turning eighteen. He knew Mimi would be turning seventeen this year…but when was Sora's birthday? He got frustrated. Why did everything come back to her?

Okay, he needed to get out of his room. He picked himself off his bed and walked outside towards the stairs. He went down them quickly and walked outside the castle. He closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air. An image of Sora popped into his head and immediately, he opened his eyes. God, she was everywhere.

He quickly walked to the back of the castle and headed towards the lake in the back. As he came near it, he noticed another figure sitting there.

Daisuke sat there with his knees to his chest, staring out at the lake. Taichi slowly walked up to him and sat down next to him. Daisuke turned and blushed when he noticed it was Taichi.

"What are you doing out here?" Taichi asked the younger boy. Daisuke shrugged and looked out at the lake again.

"Just needed to think…what about you?"

Taichi nodded and leaned back against his hands.

"Yeah, same."

There was a strong silence between the both of them and then Taichi turned to him.

"What's so different about you?" he asked Daisuke. Daisuke didn't say anything and looked at the grass now.

"There's nothing different."

Taichi rolled his eyes.

"I'm not stupid, okay? You're never quiet, and since you've been here, you've been awfully silent," Taichi explained. Daisuke rested his chin on his knees. He couldn't tell _Taichi_ what he was thinking right now.

"I've just been thinking a lot," he answered. Taichi raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Yeah, about my baby sister," Taichi stated as he looked towards the lake. Daisuke's eye's widened and he looked at Taichi incredulously.

"I-I haven't…" he stuttered, straightening out his back and sitting up straight. Taichi rolled his eyes again.

"I've seen the way you look at her, Daisuke. I'm not an idiot," he smiled. Daisuke had a far off look on his face as he looked beyond the lake.

"You don't have to worry about anything, Tai. She doesn't feel for me in that way at all," he explained softly. Taichi sighed and stared at the sky now.

"Yeah, I hope so," he stated quietly while smiling. Daisuke didn't catch the humor in his voice and bit his lip, looking to the side. Taichi laughed.

"I was kidding, Dai. Come on, lighten up," he enlightened. Daisuke didn't smile.

"You don't understand, Tai. You've never had you're feelings thrown back at your face," he explained softly. Taichi raised another eyebrow.

"Daisuke, there's lots of other girls, okay? Don't worry because one girl turned you down," he stated. Daisuke shook his head.

"No, it's not that. It just hurts to know that she'll never have the same feelings for me. I was talking with Miyako the other day, and even though she thinks that Kari might have feelings for me, I just _know_ she doesn't. I told her once, and she just rejected my feelings then and there," Daisuke explained, sighing with frustration. Taichi thought to himself for a while. That story reminded him of the time he threw Sora's feelings back at her face. The day before she left. She had looked so hurt. Damn, he never meant to hurt her.

"I'm sorry, Tai. I got to go," Daisuke stated quickly before getting up and walking away- leaving Taichi alone with his thoughts again. He sighed with aggravation and shoved his head into his hands.

He couldn't get her out of his mind.

* * *

Dinner was being served at the Takenouchi castle and Sora ate slowly. She had spent the whole day worrying about her kingdom and it ruined what should have been a good day. She had just gotten home, and she hated that she was worrying herself with all these problems, but she couldn't help it.

She overheard her father and mother talking about finding another kingdom with an eligible prince that Sora could marry. If she hadn't had went to the Yagami kingdom and fallen for Taichi, she wouldn't have minded marrying another prince.

But it looked as if she would have no choice. Her kingdom needed her, and Sora was willing to marry someone she didn't love in order help hundreds of people. That's just who she was, and for some reason, she hated it.

"Are you alright, darling?" Queen Takenouchi asked her daughter. Sora looked up and smiled slightly. She nodded and continued to eat slowly. Queen Takenouchi looked at her husband with concern, and he mimicked her actions.

"Are you feeling ill, Sora?" King Takenouchi asked. Sora just stared at her food, trying to hold in a lot of emotion.

"I'm fine, father," she spoke softly. She thought of Taichi and frowned. She remembered that she vowed to herself that she wouldn't think of him. She couldn't think of him. Her parents would probably find some other prince for her soon and Taichi had to be out of her head by then.

"Excuse me," Sora spoke softly as she got up and exited the dining area. She leaned against the door for a while, closing her eyes and trying to breathe normally. Once she found her strength, she started to walk upstairs to her chambers. Once she got there, she closed the door behind her and collapsed on her bed.

Out of nowhere, tears started to roll down her face, and she couldn't get them to stop. She rolled over and stuffed her face on her pillow, squeezing it. When had she gotten so weak? Maybe it was the stress and pressure of everything happening, and she couldn't handle it.

Sora felt a hand stroke her hair softly and she knew it was her mother.

"Sora, dear, what's wrong? Tell me," her mother cooed. Sora shook her head.

"I'm fine," she whispered softly. Queen Takenouchi sighed and sat down on her daughter's bed.

"Sora…please tell me what's bothering you," she asked quietly. Sora sat up, wiping away her tears and trying not to look weak in front of her mother.

"Mother, I love him," she admitted for the first time. She pursed her lips as a few more tears fell from her beautiful, ruby eyes, "I _love_ him."

Her mother just gazed at her, wiping away her tears.

"Taichi?" she asked softly. Sora nodded, looking down at her sheets.

"And because I do, I feel like I can't do anything for our kingdom," Sora explained softly. Queen Takenouchi brought her daughter to her arms, and she rubbed her back affectionately. Sora and her mother had a strong bond because Sora wasn't really friends with anyone in the castle. She only had her mother to talk to.

"I let down my kingdom…" Sora trailed softly, pulling away and wiping her tears once more. Her mother shook her head and her dark brown hair, which was up in a bun, shined brightly. Her gold crown sparkled.

"Sora, just because he didn't agree to get married doesn't mean that you let down your kingdom," she soothed, placing her hand on her daughter's cheek. Sora sighed and bit her lip.

"I'm so confused," she stated. Her mother chuckled and kissed her daughter's cheek.

"It's okay to be upset and confused, darling. Being a royal isn't easy for anyone, even Taichi. Especially at your age because you're just learning to become a woman," her mother smiled, "but no matter what happens, Sora, I'll always be there for you. Stop trying to go though everything alone," her mother advised, once again bringing her daughter to her arms. Sora hugged back and sighed.

"Now get some rest, dear. I'm sure you're tired," her mother stated as she walked to the door and smiled once again. Sora did the same and nodded.

"I'll try," she whispered. Her mother left and closed the door.

* * *

Takeru raced as fast as he could the Yagami castle. He'd sped the whole way through, taking a few breaks for his horse, and then regaining speed. It was already dark outside, but he was so close to the castle. God, even if he told the Yagami kingdom, they wouldn't make it to the Takenouchi kingdom in time. It would already be too late.

This drove him to gain even more speed and before he knew it, he was at the castle. The moon shined brightly above him and he could see some candlelight shining from the castle.

How was he going to get to Kari? God, this was a crazy idea. He decided that he would sneak through the gate, and try to find Kari's room the best that he could.

Slipping past the gate wasn't easy, especially because guards were everywhere. He could just tell one of the guards, but something was compelling him to tell Kari. He wanted to tell her the truth about everything. No more lies.

He found a way to climb over the gate without any guard noticing, but the hardest task now would be to find out Kari's room without getting caught. He pulled his ratty cloak closer to him and snuck through bushes. He had walked around the whole castle, trying to see if he could remember which room was Kari's. He used to come to the castle everyday when he was younger.

He narrowed it down to two windows. Both had candlelight on, meaning someone was in there, but which one was Kari's? One must have been Taichi's and the other must have been Kari's.

He cursed to himself, and knew he would just have to randomly pick. Really analyzing both, he chose one and ran to it as quickly as he could, avoiding guards. Once he got there, he waited for the guards to move away, and once they did, he pick up a stone and hesitantly threw at the window. He picked up a few more small ones and threw them as well.

He sighed when no one opened it and turned away.

"Iori?" he heard a whisper. He looked back up to the window and saw Kari looking out. He grinned seeing her face.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered as loud as she could. Takeru bit his lip.

"I need to speak with you. It's urgent," he whispered back. Kari sighed and told him to hold on. He waited, trying to avoid guards. A moment later, he heard a 'psst' and turned to another window where Kari stuck her head out.

"Climb up the vines," she told him. He looked around nervously and then climbed as quickly as he could. Kari was then motioning him to stop for a guard was walking by. Takeru tried his best to not move, and Kari bit her lip, stepping back away from the window. Thankfully, the guard didn't see him, and he continued to climb up.

Once he reached the window, Kari helped him in and he sighed when he entered the dark room.

"That was a close one," he whispered with a smile. Kari returned it.

"This was Princess Sora's old room. The vines were the only way to get you up here, so I had no choice," she explained softly, chuckling. He loved her laugh. She was wearing her nightdress with her navy blue robe over it.

He then got serious.

"Kari, I have to tell you something," he said slowly. Kari raised her eyebrow.

"Well, lets got to my room, and you can tell me there," she spoke quietly, leading him out of the dark room, but Takeru grabbed her arm.

"It's fine in here," he told her softly. Kari cocked her head.

"What's wrong, Iori?"

Takeru took in a shaky breath and closed his eyes.

"Takeru. My name's Takeru," he told her. Kari raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a glint of fear in her eyes. Why did that name sound so familiar?

"I lied to you, Kari. My name isn't Iori…its Takeru," he explained further. Kari stared for a while and then started to back away. Her heart was racing.

"No…no- this can't be happening. No-" she was starting to overreact. She only remembered one Takeru…God what had she done? Takeru looked at her solemnly.

"I-I'm so sorry, Kari. I just-"

"Takeru Ishida?!" Kari screamed, backing up against the wall. Her heart pounded, threatening to leave her chest. Takeru took a step forward and she stopped him.

"Don't move any closer, or I'll scream," Kari warned fearfully. Damn it, she had told him war plans that she wasn't supposed to. She trusted him… God, what had she done?

"Kari, please try to understand. I don't want to hurt you. That's the last thing I want to do," he explained. Kari shook her head and let tears fall.

"I trusted you! I can't believe I did such a stupid thing," Kari cried, hating her actions. Then it hit her, and she glared at him through her tears.

"You were using me?!"

"A-at first, I was. But after I told my father, I felt horrible. Kari, I betrayed you, but please-"

"Your father knows my father's army plans?! Oh my god, what have I done?" she pressed herself against the wall, trying to get far away from him. Maybe he was going to try to kill her now. Miyako was right; she shouldn't have trusted a stranger.

"Kari-"

"Don't come near me! Don't _ever_ come near me!" she screamed, trying to head for the door. Takeru grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't get caught. He placed his hand over her mouth, and she screamed into it.

"Kari, I _did_ betray you, and god, I know I hurt you, but you have to understand. I came here to make everything right. I promise that I won't harm you. I would _never_ harm you. I'm not like my father," he stated softly, his face was dangerously close to hers. She shut her eyes and let her tears fall onto his hand. He hated seeing her like this.

"Look, my father sent a few troops out and they're already charging towards the Takenouchi castle," he started softly. Kari listened to him, staring into his blue eyes. She _hated_ him, "They're planning on raiding the Takenouchi castle, and they have orders to kill princess Sora."

Kari's eyes widened and she looked away. He bit his lip.

"Kari, look at me," he told her softly. Kari couldn't believe that this was the Takeru that she used to play with when she was younger. The one that was the enemy. He couldn't be the enemy. He wouldn't be telling her this if he was.

She looked at him.

"You have to tell someone, now. They're probably already there, but if you get a few soldiers to hurry down there, you might be able to stop some of the fighting," Takeru explained. Kari stared at him through her tear filled eyes and when Takeru felt that she had calmed down, he let go of her.

Kari breathed heavily and sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"T-they're going to kill Sora?" she asked softly. Takeru looked to the floor and nodded.

"My father wants to make sure that the marriage alliance will never take place," he told her. She shook her head angrily.

"Why is he doing this?" she asked him through a glare. Takeru smiled and wiped a tear away from her eyes.

"I don't know…he's crazy. Now, go. You have to warn someone," he told her. Kari nodded, but both of them stood there, staring at each other.

"I'm sorry for everything, Kari," Takeru whispered softly. Kari shook her head and headed towards the door.

"I can't forgive you," she whispered, exiting the room and leaving Takeru there alone. He nodded his head to himself and shut his eyes tightly. He wasn't expecting her to.

Kari ran to her room, quickly changing into one of her travel dresses with the Yagami colors and emblem on there. She then ran quickly to Taichi's room, knowing that her parents would believe him more.

She rapped on his door, calling for him to wake up. The door soon opened and Taichi stood there, rubbing his eyes. Kari grabbed him and shook him.

"Tai, we have to go to the Takenouchi kingdom, now!" she shouted at him. He just blinked and moaned.

"What are you talking about, Kari?" he asked, rubbing his eyes some more. Kari shed a few more tears.

"Taichi, please, we have to tell mother and father," she said softly. Taichi looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong?"

Kari sniffed and wiped away a few tears.

"Tai, Sora's going to get murdered if we don't leave. T-the Ishida army is probably already at her castle, they're going to kill her!" she cried. Taichi took the information in and shook his head.

"Kari, that's crazy-"

"Tai! Trust me, we have to go there! We have to! She's going to get killed," she cried again. Taichi's heart throbbed. Sora wouldn't die. This was just a bad nightmare. He looked at Kari again and her eyes were pleading for him to understand. God, she was telling the truth. This couldn't be happening.

"Kari, how do you know?!" he asked, shaking her. Kari just pushed him into his room.

"Just _trust_ me, go change into the travel robes. Hurry!"

Taichi quickly came out of his room, changed into his navy and gold robes with the Yagami emblem on it. Kari told him that they had to tell King and Queen Yagami, now.

Taichi ran to their parents' chambers quickly with Kari right behind him. He had a feeling something bad was going to happen if he didn't hurry.

* * *

Sora awoke to a loud banging in the castle. She sat up and looked around her room. She heard voices…she heard screaming. What was going on? She knew she had to get up and check what the problem was, but a part of her was telling her not to move. Her heart rate sped up, and there was a loud scream downstairs. She held her covers close to her as she heard glass breaking and banging everywhere.

She couldn't move. She was so scared…what the hell was going on? She looked to her window, and even though the window was covered by the curtain, she could see lights- from torches. Were civilians revolting again?

Her heart skipped. It had to be. God, what were they going to do to her?

Her bedroom door flung open and her stomach jumped.

"Mother, what's going on?" she asked her. Queen Takenouchi was disheveled and she had some blood running down the corner of her mouth. She put down the bar of wood that locked Sora's door and quickly ran to her daughter. Her mother held her close and cried. Sora shook her, feeling awfully scared.

"M-mother, what's happening?!" she screamed. Her mother pulled away a little and moved some hair out of her daughter's face.

"S-some Ishida troops raided our castle, darling. Two came into my and your father's chambers and was asking for you. Your father's fighting them now and told me to find you," she babbled, pulling Sora close to her again. Sora lost her nerve.

"How did they get in-" Sora was cut off by something ramming against her door. Sora screamed and felt a few tears stream down her face. Her mother squeezed her and also yelped when the banging continued.

The bar of wood barricading the door was splitting from the force. It gave off a disheartening cracking noise when it finally broke. The door was rammed more and Sora held onto her mother for dear life, crying into her mother's shoulder.

"God, help us! Lord, save us!" her mother yelled, and the door broke open as three Ishida soldiers ran in.

Queen Takenouchi let go of Sora, and Sora cried helplessly. One soldier ran forward, while the others yelled 'We found her!' to people outside and left to inform the other soldiers.

"Don't touch my daughter!" Queen Takenouchi screamed, spreading her hands out so one could reach Sora. The soldier grunted and ran forward.

"Don't come near my-" The queen was cut off by the soldier's sword thrusting into her stomach. Her eyes widened and she gagged as the soldier pulled his sword out and pushed her to the floor.

"Mother!" Sora screeched loudly, trying to reach her, but the one soldier pushed her to the bed, pinning her down. Sora cried mercilessly. She could still hear her mother trying to breath. The soldier grinned mischievously and moved some of Sora's hair out of her face.

"Get off me!" she screamed, pushing and scratching for him to get off. She screamed and shrieked, fighting for her life. The soldier grinned at her, loving to see her squeal.

"We meet again, dear Sora," he whispered into her ear. Her eyes widened when she saw his eyes. Icy blue. The sniper from the Yagami castle. He had dark black hair as well. He pressed her to her bed, and kissed her neck roughly. Sora scratched at his face, but he wouldn't let up.

"Stop! P-please stop!" she shrieked, shaking in fright. He laughed again and his hands started to roam. She felt his hands brush against her bare stomach. She cried and still fought.

He soon let up, and Sora thought that he was leaving, but she saw his sword thrust up and she shut her eyes as it came down, to kill her.

Sora heard a clank and looked up to see a Takenouchi soldier pushing his sword against Sora's attacker. She lied there, frozen. She watched as the Takenouchi soldier fought and wore down the blue eyed man, and taking drastic measures to escape, the blue eyed man propelled himself through Sora's window and broke out. He escaped.

The soldier came up to Sora, and Sora, who was still in shock, cried and flung her arms out to hit him.

"Princess, it's okay! You're safe now. I'm not going to let anyone harm you," he soothed. There was still screaming outside of her room, and she shut her eyes. She faced down and when she opened her eyes, she screamed at the sight of her dead mother, lying on the floor.

* * *

Review please? 


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: Yes, I've posted thischapter rather quickly, haha. Well, after writing chapter 11, I was compelled to write this one, and it took me all day yesterday, but I'm alright with it. It didn't quite turn out how i wanted it, but I'm sure lots of people will be happy. This is the last long chapter for Drawn Together... yay! The next chapter will be the last.

* * *

Taichi's heart raced and he bit his lip to keep from jumping. God, what if Sora's castle had been attacked, and they _had_ killed her. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. She was okay…she was okay…she was okay. 

The Yagami carriage bounced a few times on the dirt road. Taichi looked around and saw his sister sleeping against their mother, and King Yagami also resting. The sun was starting to break through and rise and Taichi hadn't slept all night.

Taichi leaned back and tried to stop his raging nerves. He didn't have a good feeling at all. Sora _had_ to be alright. He promised that he wouldn't let anything happen to her the night she got drunk…and he broke it. He should have been there, protecting her.

Then another chilling thought hit him. Mimi was in the castle, as well. He cursed to himself slightly. He hoped she was alright. Biting his lip again, he sighed and looked out the carriage window.

The coachman was trying to get them to the Takenouchi castle as fast as he could. They knew that they couldn't take chances on being late. Taichi groaned to himself. The damn carriage wasn't going fast enough.

He looked at his family again and sighed. Kari was sleeping soundly, but something about her face had changed. She looked distraught. Taichi wondered how Kari had gotten this information…how she knew of the Ishida raid. If she had known earlier yesterday, she would have told someone and not have waited till the middle of the night.

He looked to the ground and sighed. Nothing made sense anymore. He hated waiting for his life to unravel, and instead wanted answers.

"Get some rest, Tai."

Taichi looked at his father, who still had his eyes closed and arms crossed, but was obviously awake. Taichi looked at his hands and shook his head.

"I can't…" he whispered softly. His father opened his eyes and gazed at his son.

"She's fine, Taichi. She's going to be fine," he reassured, putting a hand to his son's shoulder. Taichi looked out the window and glared.

"How do you know? They were _attacked_, father," he spoke quietly, not wanting to awake his mother and sister. The king smiled at Taichi.

"If you think negatively, the outcome will be negative. Don't worry about anything, alright? We aren't even sure if there was an attack," he explained lightly. Taichi closed his eyes. He knew there was an attack…for some reason, he could feel it.

She had to be okay, she had to be okay. He repeated that to himself over and over again, looking out the window at the open fields. He then hit himself mentally for not thinking about Mimi…he should be worrying about her. What if she was caught by one of the soldiers? What if she was killed?

Sora flew back into his mind, and he could see the worry in her eyes. God, she had to be okay.

* * *

Yamato sighed slightly. Takeru still hadn't returned, and he was afraid. Iori had told him right after Takeru left that he had gone to the Yagami castle. He bit his lip and hoped his brother was safe and sound, returning home. 

The soldiers that raided the Takenouchi castle last night had entered the Ishida castle. Yamato looked out his window, and saw that there were a lot of people missing…that couldn't have been good. But then again, that had to be good. That means that the Takenouchi Kingdom had fought back. He hoped the princess, or anybody, for that matter, hadn't been killed.

Yamato quickly ran out of his room and down the stairs. He stopped and watched as they walked into the Meeting Room where his father spent most of his time. Yamato walked off the stairs and followed behind the raiders.

"What?!" King Ishida yelled, standing up from his throne. The icy blue-eyed man held in his anger as he spoke to the King.

"I was close to killing her, You're Highness, but some Takenouchi soldier came and I lost my chance," he explained through gritted teeth. The King got even more aggravated.

"When I say 'Kill the princess', I mean kill the princess and not the damn queen!" he shouted, his echo ran through the room. Yamato winced. They killed the queen. He closed his eyes and turned to leave the room.

"Next time I give out orders to kill, kill the right person!" he screamed at the remaining soldiers. Yamato closed the large door behind him and leaned against it. He put his face into his hands.

His father was an animal, a cruel, selfish animal. He killed the queen, the _queen. _He killed someone's mother. Running a hand through his golden hair, he took a deep breath and bit his lip.

"And he doesn't even care…" he trailed to himself. He murdered a mother, and didn't feel any sympathy. Even after his wife was murdered, the mother of his children. Yamato walked away, up the main entrance of their gloomy castle and sighed as the mid morning wind blew into his hair as he his dark blue eyes scanned the castle grounds.

His father didn't have a heart anymore, and he smiled. Takeru had done the right thing warning the Yagami kingdom. His father needed to be stopped. He silently thought about Princess Takenouchi, and grieved for her. He knew how she felt, and it hurt him to know that his father was the one that caused her the same pain he had felt years ago.

* * *

The Yagami carriage came to a screeching halt as the King quickly ran out. Kari awoke with jolt. She rubbed her eyes and yawned softly. 

"What's going on?" she asked her mother and Taichi. Taichi stuck his head out of the entrance of the carriage and saw a soldier on a horse. He quickly walked out and followed his father. Kari rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't answer my question," she sighed, looking out the entrance. Her mother scowled.

"Kari, come back in," she criticized. Kari sighed and leaned back into the carriage.

Taichi ran to his father, who was helping the wounded soldier on the horse. The soldier groaned and collapsed off his horse, and his father caught him, but fell onto the ground, as well.

"You're Highness!" the coachman yelled, running to his aid. Taichi helped his father up as the coachman held the bleeding man on the floor. Taichi kneeled down and touched the Takenouchi emblem on his armor. There was s deep sudden sadness in his gut.

"T-There's been an a-attack…" he whispered with a weak, raspy voice. Taichi shut his eyes and stood up. He cursed to himself quietly and turned around. His father put a hand on his shoulder, looked at him with pity, and squatted down to the terribly wounded Takenouchi soldier.

"What was your destination?" he asked softly, his golden crown shining brightly in the noon sun.

"T-To the Yagami castle…to inform K-King Yagami of the attack," he stuttered softly, coughing on his words, and groaning in pain. King Yagami frowned as the man fought to breathe. After a few seconds, his face turned horribly pallid and that was it. He was dead.

King Yagami shut his eyes and sighed.

"We have no room in our carriage. We'll just have to leave his body to the side and order someone from the Takenouchi castle to retrieve it," he announced through clenched teeth. The Ishida's have crossed the line by a mile. Taichi stared at the dead body and shut his eyes forcefully. She was okay, she had to be. The coachman carried the body and put it to the side of the road, sighing shakily and heading back to the front of the carriage to guide the horse.

King Yagami started to walk back as well, but stopped when he didn't hear Taichi following after him, he turned to look over his shoulder. Taichi was staring down the road, just thinking.

"Come on, Tai," he called. Taichi turned around slowly, looked at his father for a while and followed slowly. As he entered the carriage, Taichi took his seat by the window, and stared out. His father sat down and sighed.

Kari looked at them curiously.

"What happened?" she asked. Queen Yagami looked curiously at her husband as well, then looking at Taichi.

"That was a Takenouchi soldier…there was definitely an attack on the Takenouchi castle," he explained. Kari bit her lip and slumped. Takeru was right. He wasn't lying. She looked at her brother who was dazing off, staring out at nothing. He was worried. The carriage started to move rapidly again, trying to get to the Takenouchi as fast as it could.

King Yagami put a hand on Taichi's shoulder, and Taichi turned.

"Everything's going to be alright," he stated, smiling at his boy. Taichi looked to the ground and then out the window again. How could anything be alright now?

* * *

Mimi looked around the bloody castle and took a deep breath. She wasn't hurt, not at all, but a part of her was scared out of her mind. She sat in the Maids' Quarters and bit her lip. A few maids had been brutally killed, but Mimi was lucky enough to escape.

Queen Takenouchi, however, wasn't. Mimi held her stomach and sighed. God, Sora must be falling apart right now. Word spread that Sora had seen her mother get murdered. That must be horrible…for anybody.

For a second, she chuckled to herself for her horrible luck. The one week she decided to stay at the Takenouchi castle, they get raided. What are the chances? Seriously?

Mimi sighed and closed her eyes. Hopefully Taichi was on his way right now, to see if everyone was alright, to see if Mimi was alright. She smiled, missing him so much. What was she thinking, leaving the Yagami castle? Even though Taichi might no be able to handle the news, she still wanted to be with him...to hug him, to kiss him, to make love to him.

She shut her eyes tightly and let a few tears fall. She missed him so much. And to think that she might have gotten killed last night, she shuddered at the thought of never seeing him again, never being with him again.

Getting up quietly, she left the quarters and head downstairs. The sight was unbearable. Pottery and statues were smashed and broken to pieces. There were blood stains everywhere, even on some paintings. The site was horrific. She thanked god that she was alive, considering many servants and maids died.

Mimi ran and hid in the cellar, behind some old furniture and in the darkness. With everything going on upstairs at the time, she was safe. When someone searched the cellar, they never found her.

"Are you alright, miss?" a nearby Takenouchi soldier asked. Mimi smiled slightly and nodded.

"I'm quite alright…"

The soldier nodded and walked away, but she called him.

"Is there any news on the Yagami Kingdom coming to our aid?" she asked. The soldier nodded.

"A Yagami soldier just came with news that the whole Yagami family was on their way. They want to make sure everything is in order," he explained, walking towards another servant who had a large gash on his arm. Mimi smiled.

He was coming, and she thanked god.

* * *

The rest of the long ride was horrible. Taichi couldn't help but be anxious. It was now evening and he smiled as he noticed that they were close to the castle. His heart thumped and his foot started to shake out of anticipation. When he'd see her, he'd hold her in his arms, and not let her go. She was safe…she had to be. 

They neared the castle, and the gates opened. The sight outside was terrible. The once beautiful bushes and trees were now burned or split. Everything outside was out of order and it just meant that everything inside was just going to be worse.

King Yagami got out of the carriage, cursing to himself, and hurrying to the main entrance. Taichi bit his lip and followed closely. Queen Yagami and Kari tried to keep up, but their dresses were preventing them from going as fast.

A few guards greeted them and opened the door. The king and Taichi hastily walked in and were greeted by King Takenouchi.

Taichi's heart fell. There she was, at the back of the room, right next to her beaten up father. He bit his lip and stood there, staring at her blank face. She was terribly pale and had a few bruises on her arms, but she was safe. Her face was looking down at the ground, and she didn't acknowledge anyone. Taichi guessed that her father had pushed her to greet the Yagami family when they entered. And Sora probably agreed, trying to show some manners.

He smiled and pursed his lips. He _knew_ she was okay. God, he knew it. His father walked up to King Takenouchi, and King Takenouchi shook his head softly, his eyes welling up. King Yagami put a hand to his shoulder and tried to soothe him. Queen Yagami walked up to her husband, and started questioning King Takenouchi.

Kari stood at the doorway as Taichi started to walk up to Sora. Kari looked around and bit her lip to keep in the tears. They were way too late. She cursed to herself and shook her head. This was her fault. If she hadn't told Takeru that information, they wouldn't have attacked the Takenouchi castle.

Taichi heard his parents speaking as he walked up to Sora. Queen Takenouchi had died, and he was shocked to hear so. He closed his eyes and sighed. Sora needed him. He knew that she needed him.

He looked up at Sora, but she stood in the same position she had been in since he had walked in. She was different. Of course she would be. Her mother had died. Her castle was raided. They tried to kill _her. _He put a hand on Sora's shoulder, but he saw her flinch and take a step back, not moving her head. Taichi bit his lip.

"Sora, it's me, Tai," he spoke softly, putting the same arm to her shoulder. She inhaled quickly, flinched, and took another step back. King Takenouchi was still talking to his parents, and Kari soon stood next to her mother, watching Taichi and Sora sadly.

Taichi's stomach fell. This shouldn't have happened to her. She didn't deserve any of this.

He took two steps forward, and lifted her chin, softly, so that she was looking into his warm brown eyes. Her eyes were hollow. It scared him. He slowly brought her body to him, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I'm here now, Sora. No one can hurt you," he whispered softly. And that broke her down. She wrapped her arms tightly around his chest and sobbed into his shoulder. Taichi shushed her, and brought one hand behind her head, running his fingers through her hair.

Taichi heard King Takenouchi whisper:

"She hasn't cried or said a word the rest of last night and today up until now."

"She'll be alright. Now, let's discuss our future plans," King Yagami suggested. King Takenouchi sighed and led him to a different room. Queen Yagami followed her husband and noticed that Kari wasn't following.

Kari stared at the whole room, and shut her eyes at Sora's cries. This was all her fault. She hated herself.

"Come along, Kari," her mother whispered, pointing to Taichi and Sora so they could be alone. Kari nodded and followed her mother quietly, glancing back at the pair one last time.

Sora held him tightly, scared that if she didn't, she might lose him as well. She couldn't stop herself. Her body shook and her cries spilled out. She had held it in for too long, and now that Taichi was here, he brought it all out.

"H-He killed her…in my bedroom. He _killed_ her," Sora whispered through her choked sobs. Taichi held her even tighter, shutting his eyes. She had seen her mother die. Those bastards killed her mother right in front of her eyes. Her cries became a little louder, and her legs started to give out. She slowly sank to the floor, and Taichi followed. He didn't let go.

She kept repeating those words over and over again, and Taichi soon lost himself in his emotions. He was angry, frustrated, and grieving. He shushed her again, and pursed his lips.

"It's okay now, Sora. I'm right here, and I'm not going to leave," he stated, pulling his head away so he could look at her face. He still held her, though.

Her eyes were now full of sadness, despair, and fear. Taichi couldn't imagine what she was going through, but wanted to help her through it. She pulled herself to his chest and cried uncontrollably again.

"He kept _touching_ me. He w-wouldn't let go…the sniper…" she cracked, grabbing to his robes and sobbing in his shoulder. Taichi raised an eyebrow and got angry. Right on her neck was two red marks and he lost control.

"The sniper from my castle?" he asked incredulously. Sora shook even more and Taichi cupped her face with his hands. That sniper tried to hurt her the worst way possible. He ran his fingers across the red blotches on her neck.

"Did he do that to you?" he asked softly. Sora didn't answer, but let her chest heave. She pulled herself to him again, and clung helplessly. She needed him. He made her feel safe.

Taichi couldn't believe that bastard had touched Sora like that. He shut his eyes and held her closely.

"I promised that I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, and now that's broken. God, Sora, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

For the longest time, they both stayed in that position: Sora clinging to him while letting out her emotions, and Taichi holding her up as he took her emotions in. Taichi sighed. It just felt _right. _Everything with Sora felt right.

She finally calmed down, probably exhausting herself from the crying. He knew that she was tired now. Her breathing was heavy and she was still shaking. He let his arms run up and down her back, soothing her.

"You should get some rest," he whispered into her ear. Sora loved the feeling of his warm breath. She took in a shaky breath and closed her eyes. His steady heartbeat helped lull her to rest, but she didn't sleep.

"Where's your room?" he asked quietly. Sora sniffed and told him softly where it was located. Once again, Sora found herself in Taichi Yagami's arms, being carried away. He went up the stairs and opened the doors to her chambers.

He walked in and sighed. Her mother was killed in this room. Even though everything was clean now- so she wouldn't go insane- he knew the burden would always be absorbed in this room.

He placed her gently on her bed. The sheets were now changed and were a clean white. She opened her eyes slowly and grabbed his hand before he could leave the room. Taichi turned around and looked at her deeply.

"Don't leave me," she whispered softly, letting tears fill her eyes once again. Taichi slowly walked up to her bed and pushed some hair out of her beautiful face. She didn't even know how beautiful she was, inside and out.

"I would never leave you," he whispered even more softly than her. Something compelled him to lean forward, and with a slight hesitation, he pressed his lips softly on hers. It was feather-light and soft. No lust, pure emotion. Sora's eyes fluttered closed and she slowly kissed back, letting her hands run through his hair.

It made her feel good. It made her feel complete. It made her feel safe. She sighed into her first kiss, loving every minute of it. Taichi reluctantly pulled away and smiled at her. She looked flushed and with the tears still in her eyes, she looked the most beautiful he'd ever seen her. He touched her cheek softly and she closed her eyes, letting the warmth of his hand make her feel even more comfortable.

"Now get some rest. You deserve it," Taichi whispered softly, getting up off her bed. Sora closed her eyes.

"Wait," she ordered. Taichi turned again. Sora pulled him to the bed and kissed him again. Taichi was shocked for a moment, but kissed back softly, not wanting to scare her. She loved the feel of his lips on hers. Taichi chuckled and pulled away again.

"Rest," he told her, pushing her, softly, back onto the bed. She smiled slightly and watched as he left the room. He left the door open just incase and even waited a few minutes outside her doors to make sure she didn't leave the bed.

* * *

Taichi walked down the stairs and sighed. He pursed his lips and smiled. He'd never felt a kiss like that before. It left his body tingling and his senses out of order. God, she made him crazy. 

He got to the bottom of the stairs and his heart stopped. Mimi stood there, staring at him with more than just tears in her eyes. She had a dark cloak over her body and she looked as if she was ready to go on a trip.

Taichi found his voice again and ran up to her. He embraced her softly and his smile disappeared when she didn't hug back.

"I-I'm glad you're alright," he said softly, holding onto her hand. She glared and pulled it away.

"I hate you," she spat, letting tears roll down her face. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"What?"

"Don't act like you don't know what this is about, Taichi!" she yelled, shaking her head and holding her stomach. This couldn't be happening. Damn it, he was supposed to _love_ her.

Taichi looked at the floor and shook his head. He hoped she didn't see what had happened a few minutes before.

"I was so happy knowing that you were coming here. I needed to see you, but you didn't even bother to see if I was alright. Then I catch you and _her_ kissing upstairs and what am I supposed to think?! You idiot, I love you," Mimi spoke loudly, dropping her bag, grabbing his head, and bringing him in for a deep, hard kiss. Any other time, Taichi would have loved this kiss, but after the one he shared with Sora, he noticed that this one had no feeling in it. It was hollow.

Kari, at that moment, walked into the Main Room and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Mimi and her brother kissing. What was going on? She just stayed where she was, and continued to watch. They didn't notice her.

Taichi pulled away from her and shook his head, wiping his lips. Mimi let herself cry and she smacked him across the face. Taichi let his head swing and he didn't move it after. Kari's eyes widened.

"You were supposed to love me! You told me that you _loved_ me! You're a liar, Taichi Yagami. Then you go and deliberately break my heart by kissing _her. _You didn't even come to see if I was killed or not!" she screamed taking a step back. Taichi didn't look at her; he stared at his boots now.

"I never meant to deliberately hurt you," he told her, biting his lip. Mimi shook her head angrily. Her honey eyes were glaring intensely at him and her hands were balled into fists.

"Tell me that you don't love her," Mimi forced, picking up her bag again. Taichi was silent. For a moment, he tried to say it, but he couldn't. He _loved_ Sora Takenouchi.

"Tell me that you don't love _her_!" Mimi shouted, stomping her foot. Taichi bit his lip. God, he loved Sora Takenouchi. He never loved Mimi in such a way before.

Kari shook her head, not being able to comprehend what was going on. Mimi loved her brother. They'd been having a secret relationship behind everyone's back. She couldn't believe it. Mimi could get killed for doing such a thing.

"Actions speak louder than words," Mimi said silently, shaking her head and crying out of frustration. Taichi looked away, turning in the direction Kari was standing. His eyes widened. Mimi followed his gaze and her jaw dropped slightly. She quickly recovered, however, and walked towards the main entrance. Taichi came back to his senses.

"M-Mimi, where are you going?" he called after her. She stopped in her tracks and turned around, still glaring.

"Back home with my mother. I don't want to be around you anymore," Mimi retorted, "and you know what? Go marry her. I don't care." She lied.

Taichi remained silent. He didn't want her to leave this way, but he didn't have the courage to call her back after what he had done. Maybe she'd be happier now, going back to her family.

"Just remember how much pain you've caused me, Taichi. Remember that," she told him quietly, letting tears fall rapidly down her fair face. She put one hand to her stomach and quickly left the castle, her honey hair blowing behind her.

Taichi stood there, speechless. He'd just lost Mimi and for some reason, he didn't feel all too sad. He felt a sudden release of pressure and that confused him. He shouldn't be feeling that way especially when he had some great memories with her.

"All this time, you and Mimi were secretly seeing each other?" Kari asked her brother, walking up to him. Taichi looked at the floor and walked away, not wanting to answer any questions.

Kari was still shocked. She couldn't believe that one of her best friends and her brother were having a secret affair behind everyone's back. She bit her lip. They weren't the only ones keeping secrets, though. Takeru popped into her mind and she tried to push him away. He was her burden now.

* * *

Sora woke up with a jolt. She could have sworn that she heard her mother's screams. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, only to see the face of the icy blue-eyed man in her mind. She quickly opened her eyes and bit her lip. 

He was haunting her without even being there. She let tears fall down her face and she held her covers closer to her. She tried to control herself, but she couldn't. She looked out the window to see that the sun was already shining. How long had she slept for?

A sudden sensation of Taichi kissing her filled her mind. She smiled slightly and wiped her tears. She remembered her last real conversation with her mother, and how it was about Taichi.

He brought a smile to her sullen features. She looked down at her wrists and still saw the bruises left by the icy blue-eyed man gripping her. She breathed in and shook her head.

A few maids came into her room and helped her get dressed. She slowly walked out of her chambers, feeling nervous and sorrow. She still wasn't used to the fact that she would never see her mother's face again. She was her best friend.

The tears welled up again, and her breath came out uneven. She didn't want to break down again. She stopped midway down the stairs to wipe her eyes and calm herself down. She looked up to the ceiling and breathed in deeply, but that only made it worse. She let out the breath with a slight whimper, and started to cry again.

She couldn't stop herself, so she sat down where she was, and shoved her head inside her hands. Her shoulders shook and her abdomen hurt from weeping so much.

She needed Taichi again.

"Sora?"

Sora looked up to see Kari's concerned face. Sora shook her head, turning away, and that compelled Kari to get down with Sora and embrace her. Sora cried into her shoulder for a few minutes and pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she stated softly, wiping her eyes and trying to stop her crying hiccups. Kari shook her head and smiled. This was all her fault.

"Don't be," she spoke, rubbing Sora's back. Sora sniffed and sighed.

"Sometimes I just can't help it," Sora explained, referring to her crying. Kari looked at her sorrowfully.

"I understand," she whispered. In Sora's mind, she rolled her eyes. 'No one understands…' she thought. There was a silence for a while and Sora sighed.

"Where's Taichi?" Sora asked quietly. She wanted to see him. Kari looked at the stairs.

"He's been in your garden for the longest time, thinking," Kari explained. Sora raised her eyebrow and sniffed again.

"Why is he there?"

Kari slumped. She decided to tell Sora about what happened last night.

"Yesterday, Mimi was getting angry at Taichi over something, and I saw them kissing…" Kari stated softly. Sora's stomach fell. He was kissing Mimi after she had kissed him? She looked to the stairs and tried to keep her emotions in.

"She left because she was angry at him. I think she found you and him kissing- I'm not exactly sure, but it shocked me to know that Tai and Mimi were secretively together," Kari continued. Sora looked out to nowhere. Mimi had left him because of her.

"Did he look upset?" Sora asked softly. Kari looked at her and frowned.

"He did. More confused, I think, but he was upset," Kari sighed, "Mimi could've been in really big trouble if my parents found out."

Sora nodded and got up, wiping away her tears one last time.

"Look, I'll talk to you later, Kari," Sora said with a slight smile. Kari looked up at her confused and nodded as she walked away.

Sora tried not to show the pain on her face and she knocked on her father's chambers' door.

* * *

Taichi sighed deeply again. He let the wind blow on his face and it calmed him down. The past week had been a crazy one, with Sora arriving at his castle and little incidents leading him to where he is now: completely in love. 

Breaking it off with Mimi felt right. It was wrong to begin with and they were fooling around for all the wrong reasons. He loved Mimi, but he wasn't in love with her.

Sora was different. She was more timid then Mimi and not as confident, even though she puts up a front. But even so, she was just perfect. She made him feel happy and warm. Actually, there weren't enough words in the world to explain how he felt. He loved her.

He suddenly felt aware that she was standing a few feet away. He turned to his right and smiled at her. She wore a casual pearl white dress that made her eyes pop. Her silver tiara shined gorgeously in the sunlight. God, she was so beautiful. She walked up to the bench he was sitting on, and took a seat next to him. He then noticed the odd look on her face.

"I've told my father 'no'" Sora spoke softly. Taichi raised an eyebrow and turned her face so she was looking at him.

"No to what?" he asked softly, smiling at her sweetly. Sora looked away again and looked down.

"To the marriage," she whispered. Taichi bit his lip and looked to the ground, as well.

"Why did you do that?" he questioned, his stomach clenching. Sora gave a bittersweet smile.

"Kari told me about Mimi leaving…and I couldn't let you marry me if you were in love with someone else," Sora explained quietly, biting her lip to keep the tears from falling down. Taichi smiled to himself and shook his head.

"I mean, my father's happy in a way, as well. He didn't want to put me in danger by marrying you because the Ishida kingdom is merciless. He didn't want to risk losing me after he lost my mother," she continued, wiping at her eyes again. Taichi grabbed her shoulders and turned her slowly towards him.

"When I first met you, I swore to myself that I would never agree to marry you. I thought that you were conceited and proper, which wasn't the type of woman I wanted," he started, wiping away some of her tears and taking hold of her hand. She looked down, hating the way he was starting this.

"Then I saw the real you, the shy, timid, secretive you, and I instantly felt _drawn_ to you. For the longest time I kept telling myself that I loved Mimi, and I had convinced myself that I had, but every time I was around you, that changed. I was so confused," he stopped again to bring his forehead to hers. Sora blushed slightly and looked deep into his chocolate eyes.

"It took almost losing you, or thinking that I'd lost you, to help me realize that it was always _you_. Knowing that you were in danger, or possibly killed, hurt me. I didn't even think about Mimi…" he said softly, rubbing her cheek affectionately.

Sora let her tears fall and she smiled at him softly. He grinned and leaned forward, grazing his lips against hers, asking for permission. Sora smiled even more against his lips and kissed him softly. Taichi closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist, loosely, taking the kiss slow so not to rush anything. It was deep in its own way and affectionate. They both pulled away together and Taichi opened his eyes to see Sora's still closed, taking in the moment. He chuckled softly and kissed her lips quickly before talking.

"So, do you still want to call the whole wedding thing off?" he asked, running his hand down her arm. Sora opened her eyes, which were now content and loving, and chuckled while wiping even more tears away. She leaned in.

"Never," she whispered against his ear, and pulling him into a warm embrace.


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: Last chapter, and sorry if it sucked, but I didn't want to give too much away. The summary for the next story in the trilogy is up in my profile. Hopefully I'll have that first chapter out soon. Please leave a review for this chapter. I know a lot of people read it, and I want to know what everyone thinks of the story as a whole, or just this chapter. Hope everyone enjoyed it, and be on the lookout for the next story, "Forbidden Comforts".

* * *

Mimi quietly walked up to the gloomy castle, shutting her eyes tightly and letting a few tears escape. How had it come to this? They were both happy a few days ago and now she had to lose everything, even her dignity. 

After she had left the Takenouchi castle, she'd planned to go back home with her mother…but she was gone. She'd left her alone, just like everyone else had.

Now she had no choice. No one else would take her in, and this would be a good way to get Taichi angry. Maybe he'd come after her now…

Maybe he'd come after her knowing that she was putting herself in danger, putting _everything_ in danger.

She shook her head and looked up to the sky. This was crazy, she was crazy. But what choice did she have? They would take her in if she told them the truth. She held her stomach and bit her lip. She walked up to the gate, and smiled at the guard.

* * *

Taichi looked to his right and smiled at her. The way the sunlight hit Sora's angelic face made her look even more beautiful. The red gown that Jun had given her clung nicely to her body, and something about her seemed to glow. 

The Yagami castle was decorated in beautiful colors and flowers. In the throne room, Taichi and Sora were standing in the middle of the vast room, in front of two thrones. Taichi bit his lip and smiled as the head councilman announced a few more things.

Getting married wasn't as bad as he thought. Somehow, it felt as if he was starting a whole new life with the right person. The main councilman motioned for Taichi and Sora to hold hands, and Taichi grinned holding his arm out to her. She smiled and held onto it tightly, looking ahead again.

* * *

The large castle doors opened, and a servant lead Mimi into it. She sighed and looked around at the dreary castle. She could turn back now, if she wanted to.

She balled up her fist and dug her nails into her skin. This was the only way…the only way that she could survive. She sighed and continued to follow the servant.

A golden haired boy walked down the stairs and stared at her with curiosity. She could feel his dark blue eyes following her, and she looked away from him.

This was some warm welcome.

* * *

The ceremony was nearly over, and Taichi was starting to feel the butterflies. God, he was going to be a married man after this. But the sudden, slight squeeze from Sora's hand made him look at her and calm down. She smiled and rolled her eyes. She knew he was losing control.

King Yagami looked on proudly at his son. He chuckled to himself for doubting his decisions. He knew Taichi would do the right thing, though everyone thought differently. He grinned and smiled at his wife.

King Takenouchi smiled at his beautiful daughter. She looked so much like her mother, and it broke his heart to see her leaving him.

Sora grinned when could still feel Taichi sweating in his robes, shaking his foot slightly and biting his lip. She loved him, everything about him.

* * *

Mimi walked into a large room, and straight ahead sat the King in his sullen glory. He looked up and glared at both Mimi and the servant as they walked forward. His brown hair looked dull, and Mimi could see the circles under his eyes from the back of the room. 

She followed the servant and looked on timidly as he spoke to the King.

"You're Majesty, this maid would like permission to stay at the castle," he announced softly. The king grunted.

"We don't need anymore servants. Get out," he spat. Mimi looked at the floor. It looked like she would have to tell him. She needed some place to stay.

"Y-You're Highness…I think I have something that might change your mind," she spoke up, letting tears fall again. She had to do this.

* * *

The head councilman took both crowns, and placed one on Sora's head, and the other on Taichi's. Everyone in the room clapped. 

Miyako, Koushiro, Ken, and a few other servants and maids peeked through the Throne room door. Everyone grinned at the sight and clapped quietly to themselves.

"God, I can't believe Taichi's married," Koushiro whispered quietly, clicking his tongue. Miyako looked to the ground and nodded slightly. She couldn't believe it at all, especially since Mimi had left him. Kari had explained the whole thing to Miyako when she had gotten back.

"It's actually kind of scary," Ken commented, blushing slightly and looking at Miyako, but she didn't notice.

Back in the throne room, the head councilman smiled.

"With the powers of both the Yagami kingdom and the Takenouchi kingdom, I declare Taichi Yagami and Sora Takenouchi future king and queen of the Yagami Kingdom," he announced. Sora grinned and used her free hand to wipe away her tears. If only her mother was here now.

Taichi pulled her to him, and kissed her lips perfectly, using the hand that held hers to caress her cheek. She smiled and Taichi laughed, lifting her off the ground and twirling her around slightly.

Jun, Jyou and Daisuke clapped loudly, and Jun squealed, knowing that the two would get married. Jyou smiled at her as he placed a hand on her grown stomach, and kissed her on the cheek.

Daisuke took a glance at Kari, who was grinning at her brother, and smiled at her happy face. As long as she was happy, so was he.

* * *

King Ishida looked at her peculiarly and put down his paper work. 

"What do you offer me?" he asked with a grunt. Mimi looked up from the floor and held a strong gaze at the king.

No one else would take her in. She had no choice. Maybe Taichi would come after her, this was the only way.

"I-I bear Taichi Yagami's child."

King Ishida's eyes widened slightly and stood up a grin. If this girl spoke the truth, he'd have the ultimate weapon to win.

"Say it again," he ordered, just to be sure. Mimi choked on her sobs and glared at him slightly.

"I am pregnant with Taichi Yagami's child."


End file.
